Addison Prentiss was a printer, book dealer, and publisher. In 1851, he published one of the first bird's-eye views of Worcester. He was the first owner of the house located at the end of Channing Way, which features a 3+1/2-story tower that dominates the front facade.
Constructed around 1877, the house is a Gothic Revival brick structure with an L-shaped configuration and a gabled roof. A porch spans the entire width of the front facade, which faces south toward Kendall Street. While the tower is a prominent feature, the northern facade has a wood-frame porch that appears to have served as the building's principal entry.
The house was later owned by Charles Hanson, who is believed to be the city's first Swedish immigrant. Hanson was a piano tuner who opened a music shop downtown and was active in civic affairs and organizations that aided further Swedish settlement.
Today, the house remains a solid piece of Worcester history. It still sports its rustically cut granite sills and lintels, and the structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Kyle McLonely
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.