Hillside Avenue Historic District

Twenty houses on Hillside Avenue and Grand View Avenue climb a steep hill west of Medford Square, forming a late nineteenth century suburb built for people who commuted to Boston by train. The land was once part of Thatcher Magoun's estate and was laid out as early as 1875, though most building came after 1889. The earliest house is a granite residence built by stone mason Nicholas White. The Bela Warner House, about 1884, crowns the hill and mixes Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Shingle elements. Later houses by architects and builders add Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival designs for grocers, merchants, clerks and a music teacher. Brick sidewalks, granite curbs and wide views toward Boston add to the setting. A fifteen foot cliff separates the area from its surroundings. Four modern houses and a few mid-twentieth century additions intrude, but the group is valued as a cohesive example of suburban development in Medford.