{"nrhp_refnum":"87000874","name":"Brockton Edison Electric Illuminating Company Power Station","other_names":["Brockton Edison Company -- Old Power Station"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"70 School St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brockton","county":"Plymouth County","state":"MA","lat":42.08340792900003,"lon":-70.99553502299995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-09-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A complex of four adjoining brick buildings at 70 School Street in downtown Brockton, Massachusetts, built between 1883 and 1907 as an electric power station and later additions. The original 1883 station was designed by Frank J. Sprague.","why_significant":"The original station was the first electric generating plant in Massachusetts and the first in the United States to use a three-wire underground transmission and distribution system. It is also an early, well-preserved example of late 19th century industrial construction using fireproof materials and an open plan. The three later additions are well-preserved examples of their types and reflect the growth of Brockton's electricity industry.","narrative":"Four connected brick buildings at 70 School Street in downtown Brockton make up a power station complex built between 1883 and 1907. The oldest part, a one-story fireproof brick building with a granite foundation, was designed by Frank J. Sprague, chief engineer to Thomas Edison. Its Italianate details include arched openings, brick pilasters and a raised brick cornice. Three additions followed: a boiler room with a large round brick furnace, an engine room for alternating current generators, and a 1907 substation. Later alterations changed the roof and removed the chimney and machinery. The original station was the first electric generating plant in Massachusetts and the first in the country to use a three-wire underground transmission and distribution system. It is also an early, well-preserved example of late 19th century industrial building, notable for fireproof materials and an open plan. The additions record how Brockton's electricity industry expanded.","period_of_significance":"1883-1907","architect_builder":"Frank J. Sprague, Engineer","architectural_style":"Italianate details on the original 1883 building; the first addition is not associated with any particular style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in private ownership, with present use given as storage; many openings are boarded up and the exterior needs repointing.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.413929-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/12/7966/63796612/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87000874.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87000874/840b802189-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87000874/840b802189-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brockton_Edison.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brockton_Edison.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796612","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brockton_Edison_Electric_Illuminating_Company_Power_Station","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4972870"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/plymouth-county/brockton-edison-electric-illuminating-company-power-station-87000874/"}