National Register of Historic Places

Enterprise Building

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 5, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80000608

About this property

The Enterprise Building is an historic commercial building at 540 Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. When it was built in 1900, this five story brick building achieved notice for its elaborate Beaux Arts decorations. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Enterprise Building is located in downtown Worcester, on the west side of Main Street, roughly opposite its junction with Federal Street. It is a narrow five-story structure, its facade just two bays wide. The ground floor has a single modern storefront, which is topped by a metal cornice. The second floor has four sash windows separated by round columns and topped by a frieze band. The third and fourth floors each have two slightly projecting polygonal bay windows, with the bays separated and flanked by pilasters topped with limestone cartouches. The fifth floor has round-arch windows with terra cotta surrounds and swag panels, and is topped by band of dentil moulding and a pressed metal cornice. The building was constructed in 1900 to a design by Fuller & Delano, a prominent local firm. It was built for William Dexter, a prominent local real estate developer who owned the adjacent buildings; according to building permits it was intended as an annex to those, but it is substantially more architecturally sophisticated. National Register of Historic Places listings in northwestern Worcester, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Location

540 Main St.
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.26137, -71.80371

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Enterprise Building

This page lists Enterprise Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Enterprise Building report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Cathedral of St. Paul
Industrial
0 mi
Worcester Young Women's Christian Association
Industrial
0 mi
Hadley Furniture Company Building
Industrial
0 mi
Colton's Block
Industrial
0 mi
Saint Joseph's Home for Working Girls
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Enterprise Building listed on the National Register?

Enterprise Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Enterprise Building?

Enterprise Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Enterprise Building?

The period of significance for Enterprise Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Enterprise Building?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Enterprise Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Worcester County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Worcester County.

Explore WorcesterCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Enterprise Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report