Gurney House
161 Summer St
1920
Architectural Style
Classical Revival
Significance
Architecture
Use Type
Single Family Dwelling House
Neighborhood
Bridgewater Town Center
Massachusetts Historical Commission Report
Architectural Significance
Built during the 1920s, #161 Summer Street is Bridgewater's most stylish and substantial Colonial Revival house. Rising 2 stories to a low hip roof, its 6-bay main façade is dominated by a monumental Ionic columned portico which supports a molded cornice and oversized balustrade.
Historical Significance
This house was apparently built for a family named Gurney c. 1920-1930. From c 1935-1942 a Cornelia Gurney is listed at this address. By 1945 John W. Tarbell of Brockton, brocker, owned this property. This house is adjacent to Bridgewater State College but apparently has no historical association with the institution, despite its "College president's house" appearance. Note: The 1873 map of the Town Center shows the house and shop of S. B. Keith on this site.