{"nrhp_refnum":"86001741","name":"Gray Cliff Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"35, 39, 43, 53, 54, 64, 65, and 70 Gray Cliff Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.330649793500044,"lon":-71.18545612009251,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A residential historic district of eight late nineteenth century houses along Gray Cliff Road in Newton Centre, Newton, Massachusetts, covering about 6.8 acres and dating mainly from the 1880s and 1890s.","why_significant":"The district is a cohesive cluster of late nineteenth century residences, including some of the city's finest Shingle Style houses, and meets Criterion C. It was laid out in the picturesque tradition on steep, rocky terrain once part of Robert R. Bishop's estate. Streetcar service from the Circuit Railroad in 1886 helped make it a fashionable address for wealthy Boston businessmen and professionals.","narrative":"Gray Cliff Historic District is a small residential enclave in Newton Centre made up of eight houses built mostly in the 1880s and 1890s. Together they form one of the city's few clusters of Shingle Style homes, with a few Colonial Revival examples. The house at 53 Gray Cliff Road is considered among the city's finest Shingle Style designs, while 65 Gray Cliff Road pairs a fieldstone first story with shingled upper floors. The land was once part of the estate of Robert R. Bishop, a judge, state senate president and city water commissioner. After Commonwealth Avenue was built, pressure grew to subdivide large estates. Developers of this area used the steep ledges and rocky outcroppings, laying out a winding road and house lots in the picturesque tradition. The Circuit Railroad, which began regular service in 1886, made the area attractive to wealthy Boston businessmen and professionals. The layout may have been drawn by Herbert Killoway, a draughtsman in Frederick Law Olmsted's office, though this is not proven.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Shingle Style and Colonial Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Present use is residential; general condition is described as excellent.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:12:59.974129-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/70/7912/63791270/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/86001741.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001741/10541e3595-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001741/10541e3595-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_GraycliffsRoadHD.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_GraycliffsRoadHD.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791270","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Cliff_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5598162"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/gray-cliff-historic-district-86001741/"}