National Register of Historic Places

Waltham Gas Light Company

Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 27, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89001506

About this property

The Waltham Gas Light Company was a historic industrial facility located at 2 Cooper Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. It was one of the oldest industrial complexes on the South Side of the city, with brick buildings dating to 1854–55, not long after the founding of the company. The Waltham Gas Light Company was founded in 1853 to provide natural gas for "illumination, fuel, and power" to the area. In 1886 the company added an electrical generation plant to the property, which lay in an area roughly bounded by the Charles River, the Boston & Maine railroad right-of-way, and Cooper Street, which now serves an access to the municipal parking garage just west of the company property. The company shut down in 1909, transferring its electrical business to Boston Edison, which still operates an electrical substation in a nearby former company building. The other company buildings were converted to other manufacturing uses, and were demolished in 2007. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, and has not been delisted since its demolition.

Location

2 Cooper St.
Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37212, -71.23315

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMUNITY 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

American Watch Tool Company
Industrial
0.1 mi
Waltham Gas and Electric Company Generating Plant
Industrial
0.1 mi
Gilbrae Inn
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Boston Manufacturing Company
Listed
0.1 mi
Olcott, John E., House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was Waltham Gas Light Company listed on the National Register?

Waltham Gas Light Company was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Waltham Gas Light Company?

Waltham Gas Light Company is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Waltham Gas Light Company?

The period of significance for Waltham Gas Light Company is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Waltham Gas Light Company?

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