{"nrhp_refnum":"85002677","name":"Orvis Road Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Roughly bounded by Massachsetts Ave., Freeman, Randolph and Newcomb Sts. on Orvis Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Arlington","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.40594315200005,"lon":-71.1453712101814,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-09-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A residential historic district on Orvis Road (plus 38-40 Newcomb Road) in Arlington, Massachusetts, made up of twenty-six single- and two-family houses built between 1918 and 1930, covering about 4.5 acres.","why_significant":"The district is significant for its well-preserved, finely detailed single- and two-family dwellings and for its link to Arlington's early 20th-century suburban development. It was one of the most successful developments on former market garden land, with green spaces unusual for the town's middle-class neighborhoods. It retains integrity and is described as a singularly cohesive neighborhood.","narrative":"Orvis Road in Arlington, Massachusetts, is a planned residential street of twenty-six single- and two-family houses built between 1918 and 1930. The homes face a landscaped grassy median planted with trees and flowering shrubs, the only such residential thoroughfare in the town. Houses combine Craftsman and Colonial Revival features, including bungalows and stucco two-family buildings, and most keep their original porches, entryways and garages. The street was platted in 1918 on land that had been part of John P. Squire's market garden farm, at a time when farmers were increasingly selling land to developers. Close to Massachusetts Avenue, a major route to Boston, it suited middle-income commuters using public transit or their own cars, and the ca. 1920 garages reflect the importance of the automobile. The neighborhood was recognized for its architectural quality, its cohesion, and its role in Arlington's suburban growth in the early twentieth century.","period_of_significance":"1918-1930","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and Craftsman/Bungalow","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as having no intrusions; most houses retain original porches, entryways and garages.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.082998-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/0/7916/63791600/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85002677.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002677/4381a53a49-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002677/4381a53a49-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orvis_Road_Historic_District,_ArlingtonMA_-_IMG_2846.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orvis_Road_Historic_District,_ArlingtonMA_-_IMG_2846.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791600","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orvis_Road_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7105267"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/orvis-road-historic-district-85002677/"}