The Railroad Hotel (Seth Davis Tavern) is a building that served as an historic hotel at the triangular lot where Washington Street joins Watertown Street ( Route 16) in the West Newton section 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 ...

. Built in 1831, it is the only early building still standing in West Newton's village center. The Railroad Hotel is 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 ...

and is a contributing property to the West Newton Village Center Historic District.

History

The hotel was built in 1831 in a

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

style by Seth Davis to serve at first as a lodging stop along a

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

line that ran from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Englan ...

. Mr Davis was a teacher, an entrepreneur and a developer who had a big influence on the early community of West Newton. The Seth Davis House. Located nearby on Eden Avenue, is also on the National Register. When the

Boston and Worcester Railroad The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pass ...

reached West Newton in April 1834, the hotel served as the line's first terminal, and as a transfer point to stagecoaches until the railroad was extended to Worcester the next year. It was known as the Railroad Hotel and Terminal Hotel thereafter, even after the B&W built a dedicated station nearby. It was added to the

in 1986. The building currently houses retail shops and no longer serves as a hotel. It is the only early building still standing in West Newton's village center.

References

External links

National Register of Historic Places in Newton, Massachusetts Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Federal architecture in Massachusetts Hotel buildings completed in 1831 Buildings and structures in Newton, Massachusetts Hotels established in 1831 Railway hotels in the United States Stagecoach stops in the United States Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts 1831 establishments in Massachusetts {{NewtonMA-NRHP-stub

History

See also

References

External links