National Register of Historic Places

Boston Edison Power Station

Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 16, 1990
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
90000023

About this property

The Boston Edison Power Station is a historic power station at 374 Homer Street in Newton, Massachusetts. Built in 1904 and twice enlarged, it is a significant reminder of the city's early electrification efforts, providing power to both area buildings and the local streetcar network. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It presently serves as a power distribution hub. The Boston Edison Power Station stands on the south side of Homer Street, just west of the Newton Free Library and across the street from the Newton City Hall and War Memorial. It is a single-story structure, finished in stucco and brick, with a flattened hip roof. The angled portion of the roof is red tile, with exposed rafter ends in the eaves below. The corners of the building have brick quoining, which also articulate the major sections of the facade. The facade is divided into three sections, with the entrance in the left section, framed by an elaborate temple-like surround. The right section has a window in a similar position, with a less elaborate surround. The narrow central section has a bricked-over garage-style entrance, framed by a leaf-molded cast stone surround. In 1904, the Edison Electrical Illuminating Company built a portion of this building, at first to provide power to the surrounding neighborhood. It was built next to a carbarn and power station of the local streetcar line. It was enlarged twice, in 1910 and 1913, each time stylistically sympathetic to the original design of Bigelow and Wadsworth. With the later additions, the company took over the provision of power to the streetcar system. It an important historical component in the early period of the city's electrification, and a rare surviving example of that period's industrial architecture. National Register of Historic Places listings in Newton, Massachusetts

Location

374 Homer St.
Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.33650, -71.20975

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Newton City Hall and War Memorial
Industrial
0.1 mi
Goodbar, Lafayette, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Morton Road Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Eddy, George W., House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Mount Pleasant
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
5.6 mi
Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
5.7 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
6.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boston Edison Power Station listed on the National Register?

Boston Edison Power Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Boston Edison Power Station?

Boston Edison Power Station is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Boston Edison Power Station?

The period of significance for Boston Edison Power Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Boston Edison Power Station?

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