National Register of Historic Places

East Main Street Historic District

Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 27, 1989
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
89001498

About this property

The East Main Street Historic District is a small residential historic district in Waltham, Massachusetts. It encompasses part of an area that was, before the 1813 construction of the Boston Manufacturing Company further west, developing as a center of the community. Because of the company's economic influence, the center was more fully developed further west, and East Main Street became a fashionable area for upper class housing. The four houses on the south side of East Main Street between Townsend Street and Chamberlain Terrace are a well-preserved remnant of this later period. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The Lyman Reed House, at 436 Main Street, is the oldest of the four houses. Built in 1844, it is one of a few temple-front Greek Revival houses in the city. It has a full suite of high-style Greek Revival features, including pilastered corner boards, a full entablature, and full-length windows on the first floor of the main facade. The newest of the houses is the Charles P. Nutting House at 446 Main Street. Built c. 1900, it is a Colonial Revival structure with significant Queen Anne and Shingle style elements. Its gambrel roof sweeps down to the first floor, where it covers a veranda that extends across the front. The veranda has a fieldstone skirt and piers, with a round arch entry. The other two houses are both Italianate in style. The Francis Blanchard House, at 428 Main Street, was built c. 1850-54, and has Greek Revival features, including a pedimented gable end facing the street and corner pilasters, but it also has a typically Italianate round-arch window in the gable. The George W. Chamberlain House at 418 Main Street (built about the same time) is more strongly Italianate, with a projecting gable roof that has paired brackets and a crowning belvedere. Greek Revival elements include flushboard siding and corner pilasters.

Location

Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37703, -71.22830

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about East Main Street Historic District

This page lists East Main Street Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your East Main Street Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hager-Mead House
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Holbrook, Richard, Houses
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lyman Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Lawton Place Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Banks, E. Sybbill, House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
4.5 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
4.5 mi
Lexington Green — Parker's Stand
1775Revolutionary War
4.9 mi
Battle of Lexington
1775Revolutionary War
5 mi

Questions about this property

When was East Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

East Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 1989.

What type of historic resource is East Main Street Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for East Main Street Historic District?

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

Can I research the history near East Main Street Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near East Main Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Middlesex County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Middlesex County.

Explore MiddlesexCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near East Main Street Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report