Gardner, Massachusetts
Completed in 1875, the mansion was built for Sylvester Knowlton Pierce, a successful chair manufacturer whose business helped shape Gardner as the “Chair City.” Designed by the Worcester firm E. Boyden & Son, the home is an elaborate example of Second Empire architecture, distinguished by its mansard roofs, central tower and richly detailed woodwork.
The Pierce family occupied the home for generations. During the Great Depression, the property was converted into a boarding house, beginning a long period of changing uses and ownership. Later restoration work preserved much of its original character, and the mansion remains one of Gardner’s most recognizable historic residences.
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