BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Phosser y an bese e podact and Staple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north (SEE ATTACHED MAP) UTM REFERENCE 19.316620.4690750 USGS QUADRANGLE NEWTON, MA SCALE 1:25,000 AREA FORM NO. 3069 Newton, Mass. MRA Town NEWTON (West Newton) Address 1273-1279 Washington St. Historic Name Railroad Hotel Use: Present Shops & offices Original Hotel DESCRIPTION Date 1831 Source Newton Histories Style Federal/Greek Revival Architect_unknown Exterior Wall Fabric_brick Outbut1dings none Major Alterations (with dates) 20th cent. storefronts Condition Good Moved Acreage no Date --- 13,540 sq. ft.
(less than lacre) Prominent corner lot at Setting intersection of Washington & Watertow streets, center of W. Newton village Recorded by Kathlyn Hatch, Peter Stott Organization_Newton Historical Comm. Date January 1978, April 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) As an unusual and well-preserved example of a brick hotel, and for its associations with Seth Davis and the growth of West Newton, the Railroad Hotel meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. This three-story brick hotel building, located at West Newton's most important intersection, is believed to be West Newton's oldest remaining commercial structure.
Many of the hotel's original architectural features remain, although the ground level has been altered, its steep, symmetrical chimneys removed, and changes made to the fenestration pattern on two elevations. Its most notable architectural detail is the louvered Gothic windows at the gable level. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. The Railroad Hotel was erected in 1831 by Seth Davis (1787-1888), one of Newton's most prominent residents. A noted teacher, lecturer, and author, Davis also amassed a small fortune based on his real estate investments in West Newton. Davis Street, Davis Court, and Davis Avenue, part of his extensive holdings, were named after him, as was the Davis School on Waltham Street.
Erected with red hand-made brick (as was his own house on Eden Avenue [#3073] a few years before), the building represented a major capital investment in the small village of West Newton at the time of its construction. The building took its present name when the Boston & Worcester Railroad was completed to West Newton in April 1834. Until July of that year the hotel served passenges connecting from railhead to other forms of transportation. For this reason, the building became known as the "railroad" "terminal" hotel, a name that is still in current use. Here the railroad directors held a grand fete on the opening of the railroad West Newton in April 1834. Ten years later, the Unitarians held their first public meetings hotel. In the 1860s known as the West-Newton Hotel, the inn was operated by Artemas H. Cushman. Stephen F.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Friends of the Jackson Homestead, Newton's Older Houses: West Newton (1978), p. 48. "Stephen F. Cate," Newton Journal 7 August 1896, p. 5. Newton's 19th Century Architecture: West Newton (1978) M.F. Sweetser, King's Handbook of Newton, Massachusetts (Boston: Atlases: 1874, 1886, 1895, 1907. City Directories: 1881, 1883, 1891, 1893. 8/85 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston 1otl Commmity : Form No: Newton, Mass. MRA 3069 Property Name: Railroad Hotel Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, cont. Cate's livery stable stood immediatly to the rear, an important asset to the hotel's business. (Begun in 1861, Cate's was the oldest and best-known livery business in Newton. the Waltham and Newton Street Railway was started by Royal E.
Robbins of Waltham in September 1868, Mr. Cate became its first superintendent, and for several years the first car stables at Cate's livery stable.) For a brief period in the 1870s, the building became a boarding house. Staple to Inventory form at bottom 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 recetved 7/23/86 date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematie Group Name State Newton MRA Middlesex County, MA - Nomination/Type of Review 91. Needham Street Bridge Intered in the 'Hattonai Hegister 92. Newton Street Railway Carbarn frooper Attest fKeeper Date/Signature deloueBya 91114 AilouByan st16t Intered In tlie Zattona: Fegisten 93. Nichols House Intared 1a the Mational Register 94.
O1d Shepard Farm Intered In the National Regisber 95. Page, H.P., House Entered in the Mavicnal Register Attest fKeeper Attest fkeeper Attest Keeper delousbogenstia DelmeByant4ee seloueByen9111n 96. Parsons, Edward, House Erico Mar1 97. Peabody--Williams House Attest the Register SKeeper Attest s819t9z3 Heeper selmeßyan sttte delouaßzen 94186 Attest 98. Potter Estate Intored tr the Nationai Register Keeper AulauerBzen12/23 99. Prescott Estate Attest Entered in the National Register Keeper AeloraSyan 2/4/86 100.
Railroad Hotel Attest Emterad In tko Mationzl Registec fokeeper AelouByen 914/56 Attest 86001868 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Railroad Hotel (Newton MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample Jrequest LLLOLOR Mational -appeal Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: JUL Date Due:- = Action: 8/21/86 2 3 1986 1213/37 -LACCEPT . 9/6(36 4-4-56 -RETURN Register _REJECT - Federal Agency: . -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 J original site moved date 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect - summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked J relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception Jother 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 OnE mOtE tymE TV Newton, Mass. MRA 1273-79 Washington St., (Railroad Hotel) Inv. #3069 BY ak MAR SECTION 31 BLOCK 16 SR NO. 16 15 16 WATERTOWN STREET 107 20 2 EASEMENT NETTON DRÄTN/ 17 20 10 10754 3 DAVIS WASHINGTON 15 JAL 18 16 SECTLON BLOCK 13 STREET 16 SECTION 33 BLOCK 10 D DAVIS STREET CHESTNUT 10744 15 C. oF N.
SEVER ESMT 14 TURNPIKE PENN MASSACHUSETTS City of Newton Assessor's Maps. Sheet 42 Metric Series. 11979 Scale: UTM grid line interval = 100 meters (328 feet) Newton, Mass. MRA 1273-79 Washington St., West Newton (Railroad Hotel) 31-5-1