William Hogg House, Worcester

The William Hogg House, also known as the Rice-Hogg House, is a notable example of Colonial Revival architecture in Worcester. Originally built in 1853 by William Merrick Rice, a prominent businessman and state senator, the house stands at the southwest corner of Elm and Ashland Streets, west of downtown Worcester. The house was significantly remodeled in 1897 by the architectural firm Fuller & Delano for William James Hogg, a key figure in the Worcester Carpet Company. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its architectural and historical significance.

Architecturally, the William Hogg House is a 2½-story wood-frame structure featuring a truncated hip roof and a clapboarded exterior. The roof is punctuated by gabled dormers and adorned with modillion blocks along the eave, adding to its Colonial Revival charm. The front facade is particularly striking, with a Corinthian porch that shelters the center entry, flanked by bay windows. This design element, along with the half-round fanlights above the ground-floor windows on the Ashland Street facade and the projecting cornices above the upper-floor windows, exemplifies the elegant and detailed style of the Colonial Revival period.

In the 20th century, the house changed hands several times, eventually becoming part of Becker College. From 1945, it served various educational purposes, including classrooms and offices, before being converted into a female dormitory named Stobbs Hall from 1960 to 1999. After Becker College's use, the house reverted to being a single-family home, continuing its legacy as a significant piece of Worcester's architectural and historical landscape.