Keith, Vassel House
21 Grove St
1877
Architectural Style
Italianate
Significance
Architecture
Use Type
Single Family Dwelling House
Neighborhood
Bridgewater Town Center
Massachusetts Historical Commission Report
Architectural Significance
This house is part of Bridgewater Center's collection of well-crafted Italianate houses. Possessing a rectangular, sidehall plan, it rises 2 1/2 stories from a brick basement to a gable roof with return eaves and paired brackets. Two 2-story wings are located to the rear of the main block. The 3-bay main facade1s tall first floor windows open onto a front porch with chamfered posts and graceful curvilinear braces with pendant. In general windows are fully enframed and cornice headed.
Historical Significance
The segment of Grove Street between Bedford and South Street was laid out c. early 1870s. Vassel Keith, a local carpenter, apparently built this house c. 1875-1880. In 1874/75, Vassel Keith is listed as living on South Street near Green Street in the extreme southern section of the town. By 1880 he is listed at this address. By the 1890s Roland M. Keith, a partner of Keith and Hayward (George P.), carpenters, owned this house.