Albert B Wells Residence Main Street Southbridge Massachusetts
Dublin Core
Title
Albert B Wells Residence Main Street Southbridge Massachusetts
Subject
Southbridge (Mass.)--History; Historic buildings--Massachusetts--Southbridge; Historic buildings--New England; Central business districts--Massachusetts--Southbridge; Architecture--United States--20th century; Southbridge (Mass.)--Pictorial works; American Optical Company; American Optical Corporation--Southbridge (Mass.)
Description
The home of Albert Bacheller (A.B.)Wells (1872-1953),and Ethel Burnham (1876-1949), at 176 Main Street, Southbridge, Massachusetts. The house was designed by renowned architect Daniel H. Burnham, of Evanston, Illinois whose daughter Ethel, married A.B. Wells, in 1900. Local builder H.U. Bail constructed the house for the sum of $12,600. The home was "situated a short distance from George's home [George W. Wells] - after the removal of the Edwards house. George solved the rest of the dilemma by giving them the money with which to build...I remember we had a tremendous job of foundations to build; the foundations on the west side of that house were twenty seven feet deep." Additions were made to this property to accommodate A.B.'s growing interest in antiques that he called "oddities" or "primitives". According to 'The Wells Family and the Early Years of Old Sturbridge Village' by David M. Simmons: "By 1927, an ell was added containing a 'great room' built of barn timbers and sheathed with weathered boards. This space held a special significance for A.B., who used it as a place to entertain friends and gather the family. Another wing was added in 1930. Later, A.B. took the two bowling alleys he and his brothers had built...to make bays for different kinds of antiques."
Creator
Pease, Aaron H.
Source
Image from page 50 of the A. H. Pease album #2
Publisher
C/WMARS http://www.cwmars.org/
Date
pre-1903
Relation
Is part of the photographic collection of the Jacob Edwards Library Archives, Southbridge, Massachusetts. http://www.jacobedwardslibrary.org
Format
image/jpg
Type
image
Coverage
42 degrees 04' N 72 degrees 02' W
Files
Collection
Citation
Pease, Aaron H., “Albert B Wells Residence Main Street Southbridge Massachusetts,” Digital Commonwealth , accessed May 23, 2013, http://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/items/show/1294.
Comments