May Street Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

May Street Historic District

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 5, 1980
Type
District
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
80000622

About this property

The May Street Historic District of Worcester, Massachusetts, encompasses a well-preserved collection of mid-19th century residences that are predominantly Queen Anne in their styling. The district, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, extends along May Street from Florence Street to just beyond Woodland Street, including houses numbered from 29 to 56 May Street. Although May Street was laid out early in the 19th century, it was not developed in any significant way before the 1880s. Although there are older houses along the street, the oldest in this district is the Second Empire house built c. 1867 at 30 May Street, after lot lines had been drawn on maps of the period. The only other Second Empire house, at 33 May Street, was built c. 1873 and significantly restyled c. 1891 with Queen Anne details. The other early buildings were Victorian Gothic houses at 32 and 34 May Street, built in the late 1870s, and a third at number 29, built c. 1880. Most of the remaining buildings were built between 1888 and 1896, with Queen Anne styling. The notable exceptions are a triple decker at 49 May Street, and Victorian cottages at 31 and 56 May Street, built c. 1882 and c. 1886 respectively. The neighborhood was during this period of development catering to businessmen and the owners of small manufacturing operations. Early owners included a jeweller, a lumber dealer, owner of a machinist shop, and a school principal. Two houses were owned by real estate dealers, and only one had an absentee owner.

Location

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.26513, -71.81916

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.

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Everything a full report reveals about May Street Historic District

This page lists May Street Historic District. 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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Elm Street Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Dodge, Helen, Three-Decker
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wescott, John, Three-Decker
Industrial
0.1 mi
Abbott Street School
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ridyard, B. E., Three-Decker
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was May Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

May Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1980.

What type of historic resource is May Street Historic District?

May Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for May Street Historic District?

The period of significance for May Street Historic District is recorded as the pre_contact era.

Can I research the history near May Street Historic District?

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