Arlington-Basswood Historic District
Why it's listed
Arlington-Basswood is a compact neighborhood of about 89 properties in northeastern Lawrence, Massachusetts, covering six blocks and 10.74 acres. Nearly all of it consists of wood-frame three-decker houses built between 1909 and 1925, with a few cottages and two-family homes. Typical buildings rise three stories under flat roofs with bracketed cornices, clapboard and shingle siding, and tall front porches with Doric columns, in a Classical Revival manner. The land was once farmland, later bought by a land agent for the Arlington Mills to house workers. When the mill expanded, the parcel was auctioned in 1909 as 112 lots with graded streets and sewer connections. Close to streetcar lines and a school, it filled quickly with working-class families employed in local mills. Three-deckers are less common in Lawrence than in Fall River or Worcester, so this uniform, nearly continuous streetscape is notable. It was listed for its architectural cohesion and its record of working-class housing in a textile city.
Significance in brief: The district concentrates early twentieth century three-deckers built for working-class families, many employed in Lawrence's textile mills. Three-deckers are less common in Lawrence and the Lower Merrimack Valley than in Fall River or Worcester, so a comprehensive group within one subdivision is locally significant. The district is argued to meet Criterion C as a distinct example of early twentieth century residential architecture in a New England textile center.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84000406, listed November 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Lawrence, Alder, Arlington, and Juniper Sts., Lawrence |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | November 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000406 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1909-1925 |
| Architect / builder | Local carpenters; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival style three-decker houses |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings remain intact, though poor maintenance and aluminum siding have altered some. The district also contains two non-contributing commercial buildings, fourteen cinderblock garages and sheds, and several vacant lots. |
| Acreage | 10.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.71901, -71.16947 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84000406.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4792259
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.