Chamberlain-Bordeau House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Chamberlain-Bordeau House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 718 Main St., Southbridge, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Southbridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000569 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1989 |
The Chamberlain-Bordeau House is a very old and special home located at 718 Main Street in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It was built a long time ago, sometime between 1855 and 1870. This house is one of the best examples of the Italianate style of architecture in the whole city. Because it is so well-preserved and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
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What Makes This House Special?
The Chamberlain-Bordeau House stands out because of its unique design. It's found west of downtown Southbridge, on the north side of Main Street. This street is also known as Massachusetts Route 131. The house is near where Main Street meets Sayles Street.
Looking at the House: Its Italianate Style
This house is a two-story building made of wood. It has a somewhat square shape. The outside walls are covered with clapboards, which are long, thin boards. The roof is a hip roof, meaning all sides slope down to the walls. It has a very gentle slope.
A cool feature is the deep eaves of the roof. These are the parts of the roof that hang over the walls. They have special decorative brackets, which are supports that look like they're holding up the roof. These paired brackets are a classic sign of the Italianate style. The corners of the house also have wooden blocks that look like large stones, called quoin blocks.
The main front door is covered by a small porch, called a portico. This portico also has a hip roof. It is held up by groups of columns that have brackets, forming an archway. The windows are rectangular and have decorative caps above them.
Who Lived in the Chamberlain-Bordeau House?
The land where the house now stands was first owned by the Plimpton family. They were some of the very first people to settle in Southbridge. Maps from 1855 show a Plimpton house on this property. However, that house was in a different spot and faced a different direction.
The current house was built for Captain John Chamberlain. He was an insurance agent. He owned the house sometime between 1855 and 1870. Later, in the 1890s, a man named Gilbert Bordeau bought the house. Gilbert Bordeau was a box maker. He owned the house until 1920.
When the Chamberlain-Bordeau House was first built, it was the only house on the north side of that part of Main Street. Over the next few decades, more houses and buildings were built around it. This shows how the area grew and developed over time.
Why is it on the National Register of Historic Places?
Being listed on the National Register of Historic Places means a building is important to the history of the United States. It helps protect special places like the Chamberlain-Bordeau House. This house is a great example of Italianate architecture. It also tells us about the people and how Southbridge grew in the 1800s.
