Monument Square Historic District
Why it's listed
Monument Square Historic District covers 43 acres in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, between Jamaica Pond and Centre Street. Streets run outward from the pond in a pattern that follows old estate property lines. The district holds 194 buildings, a site and an object, mostly wood-frame single-family houses built from 1860 to 1910, with one portion dating to 1755. Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial Revival and Bungalow styles all appear, along with two Gothic Revival churches, an early school, a hall and an 1871 granite Soldiers' Monument. Architects such as Nathaniel J. Bradlee, William Ralph Emerson and Lewis and Paine designed some of the buildings. The area was listed for showing the shift from village to estates to suburb, for the quality and variety of its architecture, and for possible archaeological remains. The period of significance runs from 1755 to about 1930.
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 | 1755-ca. 1930 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late Victorian (Italianate, Stick, Queen Anne, Second Empire, Shingle), Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italian Villa, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Acreage | 43 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Monument Square Historic 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.