Union Street Historic District (Newton, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Union Street Historic District
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly Union St. between Langley Rd. and Herrick Rd., and 17–31 Herrick Rd., Newton, Massachusetts |
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| Architect | Shepley, Ruran & Coolidge |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Richardsonian Romanesque |
| MPS | Newton MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001763 |
| Added to NRHP | September 04, 1986 |
The Union Street Historic District is a special area in Newton, Massachusetts. It's located on Union Street, between Langley Road and Herrick Road, and also includes buildings at 17–31 Herrick Road. This district is important because it holds the only group of commercial buildings from the 1800s in the city. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, recognizing its historical value.
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Discovering Union Street's History
The area known as Newton Centre didn't start to grow much until the late 1880s. This was when the railroad finally arrived! In 1890, a new train station was built, which really helped the village develop.
The Union Street Historic District includes five main buildings. Three of these are commercial buildings, meaning they were used for shops or businesses. They line the north side of Union Street. The district also features the old train station and an apartment building on Herrick Street.
The Historic Train Station
The Newton Centre Station is a key part of this district. It was designed by a famous architect named H. H. Richardson. Sadly, he passed away before it was finished, so his company, Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, completed the work.
The station shows off a unique style called "Richardsonian Romanesque." You can see this style in its strong brownstone and granite walls. It also has a large, overhanging slate roof with cool arched windows that look like eyebrows. This station, along with a nearby freight building, was once part of a larger group of historic train stations in Newton. Today, the train line serves the MBTA Green Line "D" Branch.
Grand Buildings on Union Street
Besides the train station, two other major buildings stand out on Union Street. They show different architectural styles from the late 1800s.
The Bray Building: A Classic Look
The Bray building, located at 93–105 Union Street, is another important structure. This building has 2.5 stories and features a "Classical Revival" style. It's made from light-colored brick and has a copper roof that slopes gently. The roof also has decorative blocks called modillions. Even the arched windows in the attic are lined with copper! Mellen Bray, who built this in 1893, also constructed the apartment building at 17–31 Herrick Street.
The Union Building: Georgian Style
The Union building, found at 65–73 Union Street, was built a few years later in 1896. It's designed in the "Georgian Revival" style. This building has seven sections, with storefronts on the ground floor. Its main entrance is set back behind an arch, with brick columns on either side. Like the Bray building, it also has a modillioned cornice, which is a fancy decorative molding near the roofline. It even has small, tooth-like blocks called dentil moulding.
