National Register of Historic Places

Bow Street Historic District

Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 25, 1976
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
76000274

About this property

The Bow Street Historic District encompasses a mixed 19th-century commercial-residential in the Union Square area of Somerville, Massachusetts. It covers a part of the west side of Union Square that saw significant development during the city's growth in the 19th century, and has remained well-preserved since then. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The city of Somerville was first settled in 1630 and was part of Charlestown until 1842. From an early date, a track developed that skirted Prospect Hill to the north and a marshy area to the south, between the center of Charlestown and Menotomy, as what is now Arlington was then called. This route now consists of Washington Street, Bow Street, and Somerville Avenue. The Bow Street section, a bend in the road around a marshy area, was eventually bypassed when the marsh was filled in, but was before then a point of development along the road. It remained a significant area of development in the 19th century, as the Union Square area developed as the town's (and later city's) principal area of industry and commerce in the 19th century. The principal intersection of Union Square has been intensively redeveloped, but a portion of Bow Street has managed to retain its 19th-century character. The historic district covers most of Bow Street, omitting only a few buildings at its eastern end. It includes, among other buildings, a former police station, built c. 1875 in the Gothic Victorian style, the 1887 Romanesque Revival Prospect Hill Congregational Church, and two buildings (the Drouet Block and the Richmond, both from 1898) designed by architect Aaron H. Gould that served as both commercial space and apartment-style hotels. National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerville, Massachusetts

Location

Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.38147, -71.09776

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Somerville Journal Building
Industrial
0 mi
Lovejoy, A. L., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Munroe, Robert, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Brackett, S. E., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Brooks, James H., House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bow Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Bow Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Bow Street Historic District?

Bow Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bow Street Historic District?

The period of significance for Bow Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Bow Street Historic District?

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