Webster Park Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Webster Park Historic District
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House on Webster Park
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Along Webster Pk. and Webster St. between Westwood St. and Oak Ave., Newton, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Architect | Shaw, Edward; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne |
| MPS | Newton MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001764 |
| Added to NRHP | September 04, 1986 |
The Webster Park Historic District is a special neighborhood in Newton, Massachusetts. It's known for its beautiful old homes and a unique park. This area was one of the very first planned neighborhoods in the United States. It was designed way back in 1844 by a famous landscape architect named Alexander Wadsworth.
The district includes Webster Park itself, which is a cool, oval-shaped green space. It also has many houses built around the park and along Webster Street. Because of its history and unique design, this area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it's recognized as an important historical place.
Contents
Exploring Webster Park Historic District
A Planned Neighborhood from Long Ago
The Webster Park area covers about 12 acres (4.9 ha). It was part of a much larger plan from 1844. This plan started after the Boston and Worcester Railroad was built nearby in 1834. The part we see today was the first section to be developed.
This historic district has 26 houses. Most of these homes, all but three, are important to the district's history. The whole area was designed by Alexander Wadsworth. He was famous for his work on places like Mount Auburn Cemetery. A real estate investor named William Porter hired him for this project.
The Homes and Their Styles
Most of the houses in Webster Park were built between 1847 and 1870. You can see two main styles of architecture here: Gothic Revival and Italianate. Only a few houses were built after the year 1900.
Gothic Revival Homes
The Gothic Revival houses are some of the most interesting to look at. There are eight of these homes, and they look very similar. This is because they were all designed by Edward Shaw. He was an architect from Boston who had written a popular book about architecture.
A builder named John Rollins bought many of the lots that Wadsworth had planned. He then hired Edward Shaw to design these homes. Even though some parts of these houses have been changed over time, many still have their original cool features.
