The Old Chestnut Hill Historic District encompasses the historic residential heart of the

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

portion of

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Chestnut Hill is an affluent New England village located west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Like all Massachusetts villages, Chestnut Hill is located within one or more incorporated municipal entities. It is located partia ...

. When first 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 1986, the district extended along Hammond Street, between Beacon Street and the

MBTA Green Line The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway ...

right-of-way, and along Chestnut Hill Road between Hammond and Essex, including properties along a few adjacent streets. The district was expanded in 1990 to include more of Chestnut Hill Road and Essex Road, Suffolk Road and the roads between it and Hammond, and a small section south of the Green Line including properties on Hammond Street, Longwood Road, and Middlesex Road. A further expansion in 1999 added a single property on Suffolk Road. The district consists of a residential enclave of high-quality architect-designed residences on ample, landscaped lots, that exemplified the development of Newton as a fashionable upper-class suburb. The area's colonial history begins with settlement in the 17th century by Thomas Hammond and others. Hammond was probably the builder of the c. 1700 Hammond House at 9 Old Orchard Road, considered to be Newton's oldest surviving structure. The 1723 house at 521 Hammond Street, a substantial Georgian style house, also belonged to the Hammond family. Development of the area did not begin in a significant way until after 1886, when the Circuit Railroad brought rail service to the area. A station 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 ...

was built at Chestnut Hill in 1883 and landscaped by

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...

; it was demolished in 1960. The houses in the district are predominantly Colonial Revival in their styling, although other forms popular into the 1920s are also represented, including Tudor Revival. There has been only limited new construction in the area since 1942. The district includes 132 buildings, of which 109 contribute to its significance.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Newton, Massachusetts Historic districts in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Shingle Style architecture in Massachusetts Italianate architecture in Massachusetts Colonial Revival architecture in Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

See also

References