National Register of Historic Places

Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 5, 1980
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
80000534

About this property

The Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District encompasses a collection of three 19th-century factory buildings near a historically important railroad junction in southern Worcester, Massachusetts. They were built near the intersection of Sargent and Gold Streets, just south of Southbridge Street. The location is close to a junction of three major railroads: the Boston and Albany, the Norwich and Worcester, and the New York, New Haven, and Hartford. The area was once a major industrial part of the city, but has lost many of its historic factory buildings in the 20th century. The most significant building in the district is the former Sargent Card-Clothing Factory, 300 Southbridge Street. This Second Empire three story brick structure, built in 1866, is one of the oldest surviving factory buildings in the city. It was built for the Sargent brothers, leading manufacturers of card making machinery, and is built to a plan that was used, with some modifications, for later purpose-built factory buildings in the city. The Rice and Griffin Factory at 5 Sargent Street was built c. 1890. It was originally three stories with a pitched gable roof, but the roof was removed and a fourth floor added. Rice and Griffin was founded in 1866, and was listed at that address from 1872 until 1905. The company's principal business was the production of architectural building parts, and it is probable that their products decorated a significant number of Worcester's Victorian houses. The third factory, at 125 Gold Street, was built c. 1892 for the Whitcomb Manufacturing Company. It is a utilitarian two story brick building. The company began operations in space rented at 5 Sargent Street before building these premises. The company produced metalworking machinery, including planers, shearing and punching tools. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Location

Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.25420, -71.80582

Categories

INDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Miss Worcester Diner
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0.1 mi
Beacon Street Firehouse
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0.2 mi
Junction Shop and Herman Street District
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0.2 mi
Stark, Edward, House
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0.2 mi
O'Connor, James, Three-Decker
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0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District listed on the National Register?

Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District?

Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District?

The period of significance for Southbridge-Sargent Manufacturing District is recorded as the listed era.

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