Cliff Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cliff Cottage
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 787 Mill St., Southbridge, Massachusetts |
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| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Southbridge MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000570 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1989 |
The Cliff Cottage is a really old and special house in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It's located at 187 Mill Street, right where it meets Cliff Street. This unique house was built before 1855 and stands out because it mixes two cool architectural styles: Greek Revival and Gothic. Because of its history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This list helps protect important places in the United States.
What Makes Cliff Cottage Special?
Cliff Cottage is found in an area of Southbridge called Globe Village. It sits on a small hill above Mill Street, giving it a nice view of the Quinebaug River.
Its Unique Design
This house is 1-1/2 stories tall, which means it has one main floor and a smaller half-story above it. It's mostly built from stone, which makes it look very strong and classic. The main part of the house is made of special paneled stone. It has an interesting "T" shape that isn't perfectly even on both sides.
The house has its original casement windows. These windows open outwards like a door. The roof has several small windows called dormers. These dormers have pointed tops and are decorated with pretty scallop trim, which looks like the edge of a seashell. The front porch of the house is built in the Greek Revival style, which was popular for its grand and simple look. This mix of Greek Revival and Gothic styles makes Cliff Cottage very rare in Southbridge.
A Look Back in Time
Cliff Cottage first appeared on local maps before 1855. This tells us it was built sometime before that year. The combination of Greek Revival and Gothic styles suggests it was likely built after 1830.
During that time, the Globe Village area was growing fast. This was because of the success of the Hamilton Company mills, which were factories making things like textiles. A well-known local family, the McKinstry family, helped develop this part of Globe Village. We don't know for sure who the house was built for. However, in 1855, F. McKinstry was listed as its owner.
The house has been cared for over the years. It had a big update in 2014 and 2015 to keep it in good shape. In 2017, the old barn that was originally with the house was taken down and a new one was built in its place.
Gallery
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July 2015 photo
