The Farlow and Kenrick Parks Historic District is a predominantly residential

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

in the

Newton Corner Newton Corner is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Newton Corner borders Brighton, a neighborhood of Boston, as well as the city of Watertown, Massachusetts. Newton Corne ...

area of

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of Ne ...

. The district is roughly triangular in shape, and is bounded on the north by the

Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...

, Park Street to the east, and Franklin and Newtonville Avenues to the west. It is roughly bisected by Church Street, and is named for two parks that are significant focal elements of the district. Kenrick Park is a small lozenge-shaped park at the southern tip of the district designed by Alexander Wadsworth; it was laid out at the request of William Kenrick, a horticulturalist whose c. 1822 Federal style house was moved to the area after the park was completed. Farlow Park is a larger rectangular park, in the district's northwest, which was established by a gift from John Farlow. It is landscaped in a manner similar to the

Boston Public Garden The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park in the Downtown Boston, heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston Common. It is a part of the Emerald Necklace system of parks, and is bounded by Charles Street (Bosto ...

, with specimen trees and an artificial pond with bridge. The district was one of the first major areas of suburban residential development in Newton, spurred by the railroad station at Newton Corner, and the development of streetcar lines. There was some early development in the 1840s, resulting in a number of Greek Revival and Italianate houses being built in the area, but major development occurred between 1870 and 1910, resulting in a significant number of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival houses. The district includes a number of significant churches: the 1885 Immanuel Baptist Church, designed by

H. H. Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...

; the 1897 Newton Methodist Episcopal Church by Cram, Wentworth and Goodhue; and the 1872 Grace Episcopal Church designed by

Alexander Rice Esty Alexander Rice Esty (also known as Alexander Rice Estey) (18 October 1826 – 2 July 1881) was an American architect known for designing many Gothic Revival churches in New England, however his work also encompassed university buildings, public ...

. 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 1982, and expanded in 1986, adding a section of Park Street near the southern tip of Kenrick Park.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farlow And Kenrick Parks Historic District National Register of Historic Places in Newton, Massachusetts Historic districts in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Colonial Revival architecture in Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

See also

References