The Brookline Town Green Historic District encompasses the historic colonial heart of the town of
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Boston, Brighton, A ...
. Centered on a stretch of Walnut Street between Warren and Chestnut Streets, this area is where the town's first colonial meeting house and cemetery were laid out, and was its center of civic life until the early 19th century. The district was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1980.
Description and history
The area that is now the town of Brookline was known as Muddy River in the 17th century, after a crossing point of the
eponymous river. The town was incorporated in 1705, and the site for its first meeting house and cemetery were chosen near what was at the time its geographic center. Brookline is unusual in Massachusetts in that its first town hall still survives: it is a stone structure built in 1825, now serving as the parish hall of the First Parish Church on Walnut Street.
The town's
Old Burying Ground, located at Walnut and Chestnut Streets, was also laid out at that time. When the Worcester Turnpike (now
Massachusetts Route 9
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20 (US 20), Route 2, and Interstate 90, Route 9 is one of the major east–west routes of Massachusetts. The western terminus is near the center of the cit ...
) opened in the early 19th century, the town's civic focus moved to
Brookline Village
Brookline Village is one of the major commercial and retail centers of the town of Brookline, Massachusetts. Located just north of Massachusetts Route 9 and west of the Muddy River, it is the historic center of the town and includes its major c ...
. Later in the 19th century, the surrounding farmland was subdivided and fashionable residences were built.
The historic district is bounded on the east by Kennard Street, Chestnut Place, and a portion of Chestnut Street, and on the south by Codman Place, part of Walnut Street, Welch Road, and Warren Street. The western boundary is part of Lee Street between Warren and Dudley Streets, and the northern border skirts the southern edge of
Reservoir Park and then runs along
Massachusetts Route 9
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20 (US 20), Route 2, and Interstate 90, Route 9 is one of the major east–west routes of Massachusetts. The western terminus is near the center of the cit ...
. Notable residential properties include the
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site
Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903) is recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture ...
. The district abuts the
Green Hill Historic District
The Green Hill Historic District encompasses historical cross-section of residential housing in Brookline, Massachusetts, dating from the 18th century into the mid-20th century. The district includes properties on Warren, Cottage, and Fairmount ...
to the south and east.
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See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Historic districts in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Brookline, Massachusetts
Italianate architecture in Massachusetts
Colonial Revival architecture in Massachusetts
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts