Boston Edison Power Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Boston Edison Power Station
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Homer Street Station
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 374 Homer St., Newton, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1904 |
| Architect | Bigelow & Wadsworth |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Mannerist Classical Revival |
| MPS | Newton MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000023 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1990 |
The Boston Edison Power Station is a historic building in Newton, Massachusetts. It was built way back in 1904. This important building helped bring electricity to homes and businesses in the area. It also powered the local streetcar system! Today, it still helps distribute electricity around the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 because of its historical importance.
What is the Boston Edison Power Station?
The Boston Edison Power Station is located on Homer Street in Newton. It's close to the Newton Free Library and across from the Newton City Hall and War Memorial. It's a one-story building made of stucco and brick. The roof is flat on top with red tiles on the sloped parts.
How the Building Looks
The building has cool details like brick corners. These corners also divide the front of the building into three main parts. The main entrance is on the left side. It has a fancy, temple-like design around it. On the right side, there's a window with a similar, but simpler, design. The middle part used to be a garage-style entrance. It is now bricked up but still has a cool stone frame with leaf designs.
Its History and Purpose
The Edison Electrical Illuminating Company built the first part of this station in 1904. Its first job was to provide electricity to the nearby neighborhood. It was built right next to a place where local streetcars were kept and powered.
The building was made bigger two times, once in 1910 and again in 1913. Each time, the new parts matched the original design by Bigelow and Wadsworth. After these additions, the company also started providing power to the streetcar system. This power station was a very important part of Newton's early days of getting electricity. It's also a rare example of industrial buildings from that time period that are still standing.
