Old Chestnut Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)

This extension to the Old Chestnut Hill Historic District adds roughly 98 acres and 107 properties in Newton, Massachusetts, around Old Orchard Road, Old England Road, Suffolk Road, Longwood Road and Chestnut Hill Road. Once remote farmland, the area was opened to suburban growth by the extension of Beacon Street, rail service and Commonwealth Avenue. Development peaked in the 1920s, when large estates such as those of R. H. White and the Lowell family were subdivided. The district is known for large architect-designed houses in Shingle, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission and Craftsman styles, set on large lots with winding roads and mature landscaping. Firms such as Chapman and Frazer designed many of them. Institutions include the First Church of Chestnut Hill, the Church of the Redeemer and the Longwood Cricket Club, home court of tennis player Hazel Wightman. The district is considered a well-preserved upper-class suburban enclave of its era.