Every year since 1995, Preservation Worcester has published a list of the city’s most endangered structures in the hopes of raising awareness about the threats they face.
A committee tracks city properties and also traces nominations from the community and then submits recommendations to the Preservation Worcester Board of Directors, according to a press statement from the nonprofit.
To qualify for the list, structures must be constructed prior to 1972; be historically, architecturally or culturally significant and be threatened by neglect, demolition, alteration, deterioration and/or type of use.
The list often serves as an impetus for the structures to be restored or preserved, according to the group.
Preservation Worcester’s Board of Directors selected the following 10 properties for its 2022 Most Endangered Structure List:
The Hovey Laundry building on Chandler Street in Worcester (Google)
Constructed in 1929, the building housed Harry and George Hovey’s general laundry and dry cleaning business for 27 years before it closed in 1956. The building was later home to the O’Connell — Dickie Moving company and the Worcester Youth Group. The building was sold to Chandler Owner LLC in 2020, which is managed by a Los Angeles-based real estate investment company, according to the Registry of Deeds.
Benedict Canyon Equities, Inc. had plans to demolish the building in order to construct another development, but the property was placed on a one-year demolition delay period, according to Preservation Worcester. The year-long delay was placed in December 2021, the Telegram & Gazette reported. The building was included in Preservation Worcester’s 2018 Most Endangered Structures List.
The Hope Cemetery barn at Hope Cemetery in Worcester, Massachusetts (Preservation Worcester).
The barn in Hope Cemetery was constructed in 1882, 28 years after the cemetery itself was founded. The cemetery is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places and the barn is an example of “a fine stick-style structure, characterized by its verticality, angularity, steeply pitched roof and cupola and overhanging eaves,” according to Preservation Worcester. The nonprofit is working with the city and Friends of Hope Cemetery to help preserve the barn, which has appeared on the Most Endangered Structures list twice before in 2005 and 2007.
Hammond Reed Company House on May Street in Worcester (Google)
While the neighboring Hammond Organ Reed Factory was rehabilitated into affordable housing units after being purchased by Worcester Common Ground in 2006, the Hammond Reed Company House is still on the Most Endangered Structures list. The four-story apartment building, which was constructed in 1895 in the style of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, appeared on the list in 2021.
The Hammond Reed Company held the patent for and manufactured Simplex self-playing pianos, according to Preservation Worcester.
Sprinkler Factory on Harlow Street in Worcester (Google)
After patenting an automatic fire-suppression system in 1905, Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate George Ichabod Rockwood opened the Rockwood Sprinkler Company on Harlow Street in 1906. When the company was at peak production levels, its annual totals exceeded $2.7 million, according to Preservation Worcester, roughly $65 million in today’s dollars.
Since then, the Sprinkler Factory has housed nonprofits, an art gallery and various manufacturing and construction businesses. This is the first year the factory has earned a place on the list. In 2021, tenants were issued a notice to vacate the property due to a fire safety concerns from the city, but the matter was ultimately dropped, the Worcester Business Journal reported.
Pillars at the entrance to Coventry Road in Worcester (Photo Courtesy of Patricia Glennon)
In residential construction in the city from 1907 into the 1920s, many developers included pillars or monuments as part of their design. The pillars could be found at the entrances to streets or entire developments, according to Preservation Worcester. Two developers, in particular, are known for including the pillar and monuments in their designs, Thomas E. O’Connell and Edward V. Haines.
This is the first time Preservation Worcester included the pillars and monuments on its list.
J Frank Quinn House on Main Street in Worcester (Google)
The J. Frank Quinn House is a frequent inclusion on the Most Endangered Structures List, having appeared in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The home was designed by Amos P. Cutting and constructed by Urgel Jacques in 1887 for the Quinn family, according to Preservation Worcester. The family owned a furniture store on Front Street in the city. The shingle-style house was one of “a cluster of fashionable residences” in the Main South Neighborhood, according to Preservation Worcester.
Thomas A. Wall – Thomas Grove three-decker on Ives St in Worcester (Google)
This Ives Street triple-decker is another frequent flyer on the Most Endangered Structures List, having also appeared in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Three-deckers are an architectural staple in the city and Ives Street is full of ones like 3 Ives Street which was completed in 1914. Prior to the construction of the three-decker, the property was part of a large farm that existed from the early 1800s until 1911 and was owned by the Stone Family, according to Preservation Worcester.
Belulah Perry Foulder & Alexander Foulder House on Montague Street in Worcester (Google)
Some of the unique architectural features this home had when it was constructed in 1895 remain. Those features include traditional wood clapboard and shingling, a stained glass window and many wood windows, according to Preservation Worcester.
The structure of the home that belonged to tailoress Belulah and organ maker Alexander is considered a Prairie: Vernacular American Foursquare structure. The style was popular from around 1900 to 1920, according to Preservation Worcester. This is the first time this Montague Street home has appeared on the Most Endangered Structures List.
Worcester Market on Main Street (Google)
When the Worcester Market Building was constructed in 1914, it was the largest grocery supply store in the country, according to Preservation Worcester. The building, designed by Italian native Oreste Ziroli, even acted as an early prototype for today’s supermarkets. Its terracotta facade is an example of early 20th-century architecture, according to Preservation Worcester. The building is currently used for office space. It’s the first time the market building has appeared on the Most Endangered Structure List.
Thomas Barrett House on Wellington St in Worcester
When Thomas Barrett constructed his Queen Anne-stye home in 1885, it was the only building on Wellington Street, according to Preservation Worcester. A mason, Barrett constructed the home with both patterned masonry and a front-facing gable, making the home a unique hybrid of architectural styles. Once he constructed his own, other apartments began popping up on the street. This is the home’s second appearance on the list, having first appeared in 2021.
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