Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 128–144 Charles St., Waltham, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1865 |
| MPS | Waltham MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001503 |
| Added to NRHP | September 28, 1989 |
The Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District is a special group of old houses in Waltham, Massachusetts. It is a historic district, which means it's an area with important old buildings. This district includes four houses on Charles Street. These houses were built in 1865 for workers and are still in great shape. They show us what homes for working families looked like a long time ago. In 1989, this district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes places that are important to the history of the United States.
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What is the Charles Street Historic District?
This historic district is on the south side of Charles Street. This street is full of homes and leads west from Waltham's main square. The district itself is just one city block long. It sits between Williams Street and Harvard Street.
What Do the Houses Look Like?
The four houses are simple, two-and-a-half stories tall. They are made of wood. They have basic decorations, but they are still very charming. Only a few small changes have been made to them over the years. One of the buildings, at 128-132 Charles Street, is a duplex. This means it has two separate homes inside, sharing one building. The other houses are for single families. The style of these homes reminds us of the Greek Revival style, which was popular a long time ago.
History of the Worker Houses
The houses on Charles Street were built in 1865. A man named Edward Campbell built them. At that time, Waltham was growing fast, and more homes were needed for all the new workers.
Who Lived Here?
The area where these houses were built was mostly home to Irish laborers. We know this from old city records that list the names of the people who owned and lived in these houses. Also, some streets in the area were named after Irish places. City directories from that time often described the early people living here as "laborers." This means they worked hard, often in factories or other jobs that needed a lot of physical effort. These houses are a great example of the homes built for these important workers in Waltham's history.
