Chestnut Hill Historic Distric

Chestnut Hill is a planned suburban neighborhood of about 70 acres in northeast Brookline, running to the Newton line. It contains roughly 126 houses, mostly single-family homes on lots of one-third acre to over two acres, built between 1886 and 1925. Shingle Style predominates, alongside Queen Anne, Medieval Revival and Colonial Revival houses, with Arts and Crafts influence in later streets. The area began when the heirs of Joseph Lee subdivided his farm in the 1850s and laid out streets for a community of relatives and friends. Beacon Street's extension and a railroad line made the hill accessible from Boston. Development quickened after 1890. Many houses were designed by established architects, including Chapman and Frazer, who produced at least 29 of the inventoried buildings. Others came from Andrews, Jaques and Rantoul and Putnam and Cox. The consistent scale, quality of design and stable use have kept the neighborhood's character intact. Reservoir Road follows part of John Eliot's old Path to Waban.