Wakefield Park

Wakefield Park is a small residential district at the entrance to a planned suburb in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Developed from 1888 by J. S. Merrill, and later with partner Charles S. Hanks, the larger community covered almost 100 acres south of Cowdry's Hill. Lots were sold with deed restrictions to keep the area an upper-middle-class neighborhood, and it was marketed as a garden suburb. The listed portion covers about 8 acres, centered on a circular drive around a green space, with large lots, hilly wooded ground and mature trees. Its houses, mostly shingled, combine Colonial Revival, Shingle, Craftsman, Queen Anne and Tudor Revival features, and one building shows English Cottage styling. The district reflects Wakefield's change from a town of shoe, rattan and other industries into a railroad commuter suburb for Boston professionals. It was recognized for its architectural character and for documenting that suburban growth, and it remains largely intact.