E. Merritt Cole House

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]

E. Merritt Cole House
386 Main Street
Location386 Main St., Southbridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°4′36″N 72°2′8″W
Arealess than one acre
Builtc. 1855 (1855)
Architectural styleGothic Revival
MPSSouthbridge MRA
NRHP reference No.89000576[1]
Added to NRHPJune 22, 1989

Description and history

The E. Merritt Cole House is located adjacent to Southbridge's central business district, on an isolated lot that is now accessed via a private drive from Hamilton Street, despite having a Main Street address. 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.[2]

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.[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "MACRIS inventory record for E. Merritt Cole House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
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