Blake and Knowles Steam Pump Company National Register District
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
This one-block industrial district in East Cambridge preserves the last intact section of the Blake & Knowles Steam Pump Company plant. Six buildings, built between 1889 and 1918, occupy about 2.4 acres between Third, Rogers, Fifth and Binney Streets. They include the 400-foot-long #1 Machine Shop, the formally detailed Office Headhouse, a Smith Shop and Brass Foundry, the 1903 Erecting and Assembling Building, and two large machine shops from 1917 and 1918. The latter were the complex's first concrete buildings and used steel sash windows. The company began with George F. Blake's pump for clay pits in brickyards, and merged with the Knowles pump business in 1897. At its peak the plant covered six acres, but nearby buildings have been replaced or heavily altered. The surviving block keeps its massing, scale and brick and concrete materials, despite window replacements and a few additions. It was recognized for its role in local industry and for its representative industrial architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1889-1946 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late Victorian: Panel Brick; Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Acreage | 2.4 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Blake and Knowles Steam Pump Company National Register District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.