Francis Dewey House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Francis Dewey House
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Location | 71 Elm St., Worcester, Massachusetts |
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Built | 1912 |
Architect | Little & Browne |
Architectural style | Flemish/Eclectic |
MPS | Worcester MRA |
NRHP reference No. | 80000580 |
Added to NRHP | March 05, 1980 |
The Francis Dewey House is a special old house located at 71 Elm Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was built in 1912. This house is well-known for its very unique and mixed architectural style. It was designed by a famous company called Little & Browne from Boston.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Its first owner, Francis H. Dewey, was an important lawyer and businessman in the area.
The Francis Dewey House
The Dewey House stands in a neighborhood with many homes. It is located west of downtown Worcester. You can find it at the corner of Elm and West Streets.
It is a two-and-a-half story building made of wood. The outside of the house is covered in stucco. The house has a very special look. It features curved gables, which are the triangular parts of the wall that rise to a point. These gables are shaped in a style called Flemish. They even have decorative urns on top!
The front of the house faces south and looks balanced. It has five main sections. The middle section sticks out a little bit. The sections on the sides and the very outer ones have these unique Flemish gables. Four of the sections also have two-story bay windows that are shaped like polygons. The main entrance is in the center section. It has a porch made of cast stone with classic columns and a railing above.
A Unique Design
The Francis Dewey House was built in 1912. Francis Dewey chose its design from three different plans. All the plans had a similar shape for the house. This suggests that parts of an older house, built around 1860, might have been used in the new building.
The design that was chosen has an "eclectic Flemish" style. "Eclectic" means it combines ideas from different styles. The other designs that were not chosen were in the Colonial Revival style and the English Revival (Tudor) style. This makes the house very special in Worcester.
Who Was Francis Dewey?
Francis H. Dewey was a very important person in Worcester. He came from a family of lawyers. He was the fourth generation in his family to work in the legal field.
Besides being a lawyer, he also served as a judge. He was also an executive for a railroad company. This shows he was a successful and respected leader in his community.