Sylvester Dresser House

Sylvester Dresser House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	29 Summer St., Southbridge, Massachusetts
Coordinates
Built	1870
Architectural style	Gothic, Italianate
MPS	Southbridge MRA
NRHP Reference #	89000523
Added to NRHP	June 22, 1989

The Sylvester Dresser House is a historic house at 29 Summer Street in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It was built between 1865 and 1870 for Sylvester Dresser, a leading businessman in Southbridge during the second half of the 19th century. Dresser began his career as a schoolteacher, but operated a variety of businesses between the 1840s and 1860s. He was notable for making the first shipment (a load of bricks) when the railroad arrived in Southbridge in 1866. His house is a 2.5 brick structure in a strong Italianate form, but with some Gothic Revival details. The blocky form with three bays, with the rounded arch entry and heavy balcony, are typical Italianate features, but the steeply pitched roof lines and Stick style decorative elements are more distinctly Gothic. The choice of brick as a building material is somewhat unusual, but not unexpected given that Dresser owned brickyards at the time of its construction.

It was built in 1870 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Southbridge, Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts