Cottage Farm Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cottage Farm Historic District
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A house on Cottage Farm Road
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Amory, Dummer, Lenox, Brookline and Beacon Sts., Brookline, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1850 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, International style, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000455 |
| Added to NRHP | March 29, 1978 |
The Cottage Farm Historic District is a special neighborhood in Brookline, Massachusetts. It's known for its beautiful homes and its connection to a famous businessman, Amos Adams Lawrence. This area was planned in the 1850s. It has many high-quality houses built between the 1850s and early 1900s. These homes sit on large pieces of land. The whole district became a protected historic place in 1978. It's now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
Exploring Cottage Farm's History
Long ago, in the 1600s, Cottage Farm was a big meadow. A judge named Samuel Sewall owned this land. It was located between the Charles River and the Muddy River.
How the Neighborhood Began
In the early 1800s, David Sears bought this land. He built a house there in 1844 for his son, Frederick. Then, in 1850, Amos Adams Lawrence bought the Cottage Farm land from Sears. Lawrence built his own family home in 1851. After that, he started dividing the land into smaller lots. He began building more houses in the area.
Early Homes and Styles
Some of the first houses built were very special. Three of them, including Lawrence's own home, were made of stone. They were built in the English Gothic Revival style. One of these was designed by architect George Minot Dexter for himself. Later, more houses were built in other popular styles of the time.
What Makes Cottage Farm Special
The Cottage Farm Historic District has clear boundaries. It is bordered by Dummer and Mountfort Streets to the north. Amory Street is to the west. Beacon Street is to the south, and St. Mary's Street is to the east. However, properties directly on Beacon Street and St. Mary's Street are not part of the district.
Green Spaces and Buildings
The southwest part of this area has lots of open space. There's a playground and a nature area around Hall's Pond. The district covers about 67 acres (27 hectares). It contains 75 buildings that are important to history. Most of these are homes. They all share a similar look and size. Some buildings are for groups or schools, like the New England Hebrew Academy. Even these larger buildings fit in well with the homes.
