E. Merritt Cole House

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E. Merritt Cole House
386 Main Street, Southbridge MA.jpg
386 Main Street
E. Merritt Cole House is located in Massachusetts
E. Merritt Cole House
Location386 Main St., Southbridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°4′36″N 72°2′8″W / 42.07667°N 72.03556°W / 42.07667; -72.03556Coordinates: 42°4′36″N 72°2′8″W / 42.07667°N 72.03556°W / 42.07667; -72.03556
Arealess than one acre
Builtc. 1855 (1855)
Architectural styleGothic Revival
MPSSouthbridge MRA
NRHP reference No.89000576[1]
Added to NRHPJune 22, 1989

The E. Merritt Cole House is a historic house at 386 Main Street in Southbridge, Massachusetts. Built in the early 19th century and restyled sometime between 1855 and 1878, it is a distinctive local example of Gothic Revival architecture. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[1]

Description and history[]

The E. Merritt Cole House is located adjacent to Southbridge's central business district, on an isolated lot that is accessed from the parking lot in front belonging to Consumer Auto Parts as of 2021.[2] It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof and clapboarded exterior. Portions of the exterior have the siding applied either vertically or at an angle, and there are panels decorated with diamond motifs. The main facade is three bays wide, and is dominated by a central two-story gabled portico, supported by square posts. A single-story porch extends to the right side, and a secondary entrance on the left side is sheltered by a gabled portico.[3]

The house was built in the early 1800s by Jacob Edwards, and acquired its present Gothic Revival appearance as the result of a renovation between 1855 and 1878. This work was done for E. Merritt Cole, treasurer and a founding shareholder of the American Optical Company, a major local employer. The house's distinctive styling appears to have been an inspiration for similar but more vernacular treatments on worker housing in the area. The house was briefly turned into a law office in the 1990s into the early 2000s.[4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "382_Main_Street_Property_Record_Card". Town of Southbridge. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  3. ^ "MACRIS inventory record for E. Merritt Cole House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  4. ^ "Southbridge MA Property Record Card House". Town of Southbridge. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
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