BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
AREA FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 294 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MA 02108 FORM NO. 33 Robl 19:32A, 34A PHOTO: (3x3" or 3x5" , black & white) staple to lett side of torm Photo number SKETCH MAP Show property's location in relation. to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection. Indicate north. Town Stoneham Address 474 Main Street Historic Name Colonial Beacon Gas Station Present Owner: Thomas Mays, 27 Bear Hill Rd Original Owner: Colonial Beacon Stoneham Oil Company Use: Present Fruit and flower shop Original_Filling station DESCRIPTION: Date ca.1922 Source V/a; documentary research Style Neoclassical gas station Architect_ Coolidge and Carlson Exterior wall fabric_cinderblock/stucco Outbuildings none Major alterations (with dates) "Drive- through" enclosed and glazed, ca.
1975 LINDEN SI MIDDLE ST. Moved no Date_n/a Approx. acreage 8,539 square feet SettingMain Street; southern edge of central business district Recorded by Carole Zellie, ed. Sarah Zimmerman Organization Landscape Research Date May, 1979 Assessor's Map #18-237 UTM: Boston North Quad 19/347310/4704560 (Staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community.) The Neo-classical Colonial Beacon gas station is a well preserved example of early 20th- century, automobile-related commercial architecture. It is one of four surviving Neo.-classical gas stations of the Colonial Oil Company chain in Massachusetts. These were designed as flagship stations for the company by the architectural firm of Coolidge and Carlson of Boston.
A one-story building of cinder-block construction with stucco finishing, the Colonial Beacon station has a two-part plan consisting of an open domed octagonal "drive-through" pump area and a two-bay, rectangular, flat roofed service area. Corinthian columns support the pump area dome which is surmounted by a tall lantern upon which rests open grillework globe containing a light; when lit, that light became the "beacon" of the Colonial Beacon station. The pump and service areas are unified through the use of a Doric cornice and a parapet with starburst panels which encircles both areas. Subsequent alterations to the building consist of the enclosure and glazing of the octagonal drive-through, the addition of a glazed greenhouse shed to that area and the conversion of both areas to use as a fruit and produce stand.
Until after World War II, the station retained its original usage; since that time, it has served a number of retail functions, none of which have negatively or irreversibly affected the integrity of the original structure, which remains intact. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (Explain the role the owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.) The Colonial Beacon gas station possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and association. It is significant as the best preserved of four similar Neo-classical 1920s gas stations of the Massachusetts-based Colonial 01l Company (now defunct), which remain extant in Massachusetts.
It is also important as an unusually sophisticated example of early 20th-century automobile-related commercial architecture by a noted Boston architectural firm, and for its associations with the development of automobile transportation in the Boston area. It meets criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places. Located directly on Main Street (Route 28), the Colonial Beacon gas station occupies a site long identified as an important transportation corridor. Main Street was laid aut in 1806 as the Medford-Andover turnpike and remains an impertant north-south route even today. In the early 20th century, Main Street was improved as Route 28 and became one of the earliest automobile highways in the Boston area. Like many roadside businesses of the early automobile transportation era, the Colonial Beacon station served as both an advertising symbol and a service station.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (name of publication, author, date and publisher) Clipping file, Stoneham Public Library. 10M - 7/82 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only recelved 2/28/87 date entered Page 2 of 1 Multiple Resource Area Thematie Group Name State Stoneham Multiple Resource Area Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 11. Buswell, Clara, House Entered in the National Register feeper Attest Fkeeper Date/Signature XelauByer f13/01 12. Chamberlain, Samuel, House Enterad in the National Register AelmeByes 4//54 13. Cogan, Bernard, House Entered in the National Register 14. Cogan, James, House Extored In National Register 15.
Colonial Beacon Gas Station Entered in the National Register 16. Cowdrey, George, House Entered in the National Register Attest /Keeper Attest Tkeeper Attest tKeeper Attest FKeeper Attest AelouaByan 4/0l4 AelmByen spht deleBye 412/04 AelunBya 4/13/04 17. Daniels, Blake, Cottage Entered in the National Register 18. Dean, Silas, House Entered in the National Register 19. Dow Block Entared in tha Mational Regtater 20. Durgin, E.
A., House Tatored 1a tha Pational Reghrter &Keeper .- AelueByer 4/3/04 Attest fReeper AelmuaByun 1/10/84 Attest Keeper AelmByen 4/13/84 Attest fReeper SeluuByur 4/13/64 Attest WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Colonial Beacon Gas Station (Stoneham MRA) Middlesex County MASSA C HUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Lsample _request FEB Working No. 1281984 Fed. Reg. Date: 86 Date Due: 3 -4-13-84 Action: LACCEPT - 4-13-84 Entered in the RETURN Matione4Begister REJECT_ Federal Agency: Lappeal LNR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer. Discipline Date. see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: _ technical corrections cited below _ substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2.
Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? 7. Description Condition excellent good fair - deteriorated ruins unexposed yes Check one - unaltered altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one L original site moved date 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9.
Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name_ UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to - Signed- - Date - - Phone: Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet FRESH FRUIT VEGETABLES FLOWERS - SHRUBS TROPICAL PALACEINC. FRUIT BASKETS 18 438- 6116 Coleeil Beacer Gas st1. Stelehon (lt) -Chla 6130 Town ol Stoneham Assissor 5 Mp - Page 1B; lot237 - 1'=200' - presintdat 233: 227 MAIN A 35% $23 41320 1 433 3/:434| 435 ~453 235 229 12 d0a IGG.S :23217.64.
234 238 299 4447 298 19.095 -45' 231 297 31.03 :*3 3:29 4242 -295 296 g 305 Do.e 2944293 3UG 307.1 =:30g:% 292 373 312 69001 244 2511290 E "390. -390% 1dsel 316 -9a 315 317 319 *°=* -219 263. g) 25% -255 254 25g L253g T. 288 23 ,321 320 451 4E2 $20 436 433 fi := 9634 325 326 321 4,5 414 ::: Z 502 S 506 449 464 4.ta3 465 == 505 -y; ST. ... $59 550 592 390 10 5 446 467 $30 470 -3e to .. 57 397 WRICHT 445 3600g 474 475: 201 :25 411 44 480 472 500 521 5254 406 410 482 483 :4834 409 404 48 .5. 407 480 168 2 503 502 #3.3: 523 524 CO MGRESS FE:= 500 530 232 FE:: 640 -287 1-332 -s330- 328 329 ST. 105 403 ... -10 17,639= 589 HANCOCK R 8:95 9 ..:623.5 ST. HANCOCK WEST E 514 529 3.A1 526 520 607 1603 5 48 609 604 7573 934 15 611 632 633 630 134. ;** T. 12 534 535 6I0 333 634 S b:p:ba= AVE.
7,560 RANOVIEW 6 a Bp goo 156 2Z 3000 sftglasn 3 34 : cito TWoCO 24 10 VERE-T ST. 641 1642 90: 643 E44 1645, 109 ti0: *1315 :100 646 1:50 2110 #33 258 259 260 TOV 252 386 1285|284|28 333 35 40i 399 398 39 15 540 19.8 647 200 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000295