BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM F - STRUCTURE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5" black and white) Indicate address on back of photo. taple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing structure's location in relation to nearest cross streets, bufldings and/or geographical features. Indicate all bufldings between inventoried property and nearest intersection. Indicate north. (SEE ATTACHED MAP) UTM REFERENCE USGS QUANDRANGLE SCALE 19.317220.4685960 NEWTON, MA 1:25,000 AREA FORM NO. UF 98 MRA Town NeNton (UMer Fa NS)/Needham Address Needham St. at Charles River Name Needham Street Bridge Ownership: x Public Private Type of Structure (check one): bridge pound canal powder house dam street fort tower gate tunnel kiln wall 11ghthouse windmilT other DESCRIPTION Date Source 1875 datestone Architect Engineer/Designer (if known): Wm.
Wheeler & Hiram Blaisdell Construction material stone Alterations (with dates) none Condition excellent Moved no Date --- Acreage less than 1 acre Setting carries busy commercial conmerciel petween .Rt. 128 and industrial strip. Recorded by Peter Stott Organization Newton Historical Comm. Date April 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) As a well-preserved example of a once common bridge type, and for its association with a known engineering firm, the Needham Street Bridge meets criterion C of the National Register of Historic Places. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important design features and evaluate in terms of other structures within the community. The Needham Street Bridge is a three-span stone-arch bridge with an overall length of 95 feet.
Each of the three eliptical stone arches have a span of 27 feet, providing a waterway of 81 feet and a roadway of 40 feet. entire length of the bridge and wingwalls is 150 feet. In the center of the downstream side is carved the date, "A.D. 1875." The Needham Street Bridge was completed within a few months of Upper Falls' more famous arched structure, Echo Bridge (NR-4/9/1980), part of the City of Boston's Sudbury Aqueduct and for many years the second longest masonry arch in the nation. Unlike other stone-arch bridges across the Charles which have been widened in the early 20th century for increased traffic capacity, the Needham Street Bridge has seen no alterations and remains one of the best examples of stone-arch construction in the Boston area. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain historical importance of structure and how the structure relates to the development of the community.
Although the Needham Street Bridge is one of the oldest of Newton's bridges, it is one of the most recent of Needham's nine stone bridges over Needham Street was laid out in 1875 to link Newton Highlands and Centre Street with Newton Upper Falls and the town of Needham. The bridge was formally accepted by the selectmen of Needham and the highway committee of Newton on Saturday, November 13, 1875. Engineers responsible for the design of the bridge were Hiram Blaisdell and William Wheeler, two young civil engineers from Concord, Mass., both just starting out on their careers. several stone bridges in their native town, and further investigation may e an tnetr native show a wide influence in Boston-area towns. In 1876, the firm was responsible for the design of Lyons Bridge over the Charles, between Needham and Dedham.
Although Lyons Bridge utilized a single 54-foot arch span, like the Needham Street bridge, it prominently displays a central datestone. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Newton Republican 20 November 1875. 8/85 NPS Form 10-900-8 (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 7/23/86 date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Newton MRA Middlesex County, MA - Nomination/Type of Review 91. Needham Street Bridge 92. Newton Street Railway Carbarn 93. Nichols House 94. O1d Shepard Farm 95. Page, H.P., House 96. Parsons, Edward, House 97. Peabody--Williams House .- 98. Potter Estate 99. Prescott Estate 100.
Railroad Hotel Intered in the 'Hattonai kegister Date/Signature froper delmu yan gile Attest fKeeper AilaueByan st6t Entered In tle Zattonai tegiaten Intarei in the Matlenal Register Intered In the National Registez Attest fKeeper Attest fiteeper Attest delousBogen9tl6 SelmeByas16e Entered in the Naticnal Register Keeper selmuBzen944 Frace Mar1 n the Register Attest fKeeper selmeßgan stibe 9819t8z Attest fieeper AelouaByer4186 Irtored ir the Nattonai Register Attest Keeper AuluerBsen 19/231 Attest Entered in the National Register" Keeper Deloer Byan 9/4/86 Attest Interad in tho Nationza Regialer fokeeper AeluByan 9/4/86 Attest 86001852 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Needham Street Bridge (Newton MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample Jrequest Working No.
Fed. Reg. Date: 3 1986 Date Due: - 821/86-9/6/86 2/3/37 Entered in the Action: -LACCEPT . 9-4-86 National Eegister -_RETURN REJECT- Federal Agency: _ -appeal -NR 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? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed 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 original site moved date 8.
Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect J summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked J relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance J 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: - GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Newton, Mass. MRA Needham Street Bridge Newton Upper Falls Inv. #UF 98 NIRZN APR 1986 Prestige Print: by Berkey 5 + OAK SECTION BLOCK 51 49 6 STREET SECTION 51 BLOCK 49 7 MATN ANO CONAON SOOR CASDOT NEEDHAM (APPROXIMATET TOWN OF NEEDHAM Clty of Newton Assessor's Maps. Sheets 135,136, 143,144 Metric Series. 1979 Scale: UTM grid line interval = 100 meters (328 feet) - EET 28 CHRISTINA SECTION 83 BLOCK 31 ST --- _CITY OF_METON BEGIM ORAIN AND SECTION BLOCK _ CORaON : Newton, Mass. MRA Needham Street Bridge Newton Upper Falls