River Road–Cross Street Historic District facts for kids
The River Road–Cross Street Historic District is a special area in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It is like a living museum that shows how this town grew. This district helps us understand Topsfield's past. It started as a farming area. Later, people built country homes there to escape city life.
Quick facts for kids |
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River Road–Cross Street Historic District
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Looking northwest on River Road
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Topsfield, Massachusetts |
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| Architect | Blosson, Harold H.,; Cram, Robert N., et al. |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Georgian |
| MPS | Farms and Rural Retreats of Topsfield, Massachusetts MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000465 |
| Added to NRHP | May 26, 2005 |
Contents
Exploring the River Road–Cross Street Historic District
This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The National Register lists important places across the United States. It helps protect them for future generations.
The district covers about 450 acres. It includes open farmlands and old farmhouses. You can also see beautiful houses from the 1800s and 1900s. The Ipswich River flows right through the middle of this area. It offers many scenic views.
What Makes This Area Special?
The district is roughly bordered by several roads. These include River Road, Rowley Bridge Road, Cross Street, Hill Street, and Salem Road. Some properties on Prospect Street and Bradstreet Lane are also part of it.
A lot of this land was owned by William Appleton Coolidge in the 20th century. He gave it to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He wanted MIT to keep the area natural and rural. MIT later sold these properties in the year 2000.
A Look at the Old Houses
Some of the lands in this district have been farmed since Topsfield's early days. The oldest houses here are from the late 1600s. These include the Zaccheus Gould House and the Stanley Lake House. Both of these houses are also listed separately on the National Register.
There are also several houses from the mid to late 1700s. For example, John Balch built two notable houses on Hill Street during this time. These homes show how people lived and built houses long ago.
How the Area Changed Over Time
The River Road–Cross Street area slowly changed from just farms. It started becoming a place for country getaways around 1807. That's when the Perkins-Pingree House was built at 49 Salem Road. This house is a great example of the Federal style of architecture in Topsfield.
Important Estates in the District
Two large and important estates are found here:
- Meredith Farm: This farm is located at 29 and 41 Cross Street. A developer from Boston, J. Morris Meredith, turned it into a country retreat. He built an Arts and Crafts style house. But he also kept the historic Daniel Bixby farmstead, which was built around 1800.
- Cummings Estate: This estate is at 82 River Road. Margaret Cummings bought this land in the early 1900s. Her family, the Lake family, had owned it for a long time. Margaret's brother, Charles Kimball Cummings, was an architect. He designed several Tudor Revival style buildings for the estate. The famous landscape designer Arthur Shurcliff planned the beautiful gardens. He had learned from the well-known Olmsted Brothers.
