Beverly Depot

Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts Listed October 11, 1979 Ref. 09000087 Building

Why it's listed

Beverly Depot is a long, narrow railroad station beside the Boston & Maine tracks on Park Street in Beverly, Massachusetts. Built in 1896-97 to replace an 1839 structure described in the press as a "barny affair," it measures 32 by 120 feet and is faced in buff brick with brown freestone trim. A low slate roof rests on curved wooden brackets, and the Park Street front has Queen Anne stained glass windows. Bradford L. Gilbert, a nationally known railroad station architect, designed it. The depot gave Beverly a central point for rail travel and a source of civic pride, and its construction brought a new park, an embankment that removed a grade crossing, and street changes. The railroad abandoned it in the early 1970s, after which it deteriorated. Private owners bought it in 1971 and converted it to a restaurant, restoring its main features. It still serves commuters as a waiting area.

Significance in brief: It served as the main depot on the Boston & Maine line in Beverly and was the central focus for travel to and from the city. Its attractive Victorian design by a nationally prominent railroad station architect made it a source of civic pride. Its construction also prompted changes nearby, including a new park and a redesigned street system.

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 09000087, listed October 11, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).

Key facts

Address	Park St., Beverly
County	Essex County
Listed	October 11, 1979
Reference number	09000087
Resource type	Building
Period of significance	1800-1899
Architect / builder	Architect: Bradford L. Gilbert; Builder: Boston & Maine R.R.
Architectural style	Adapted, eclectic Victorian station style with Richardsonian Romanesque stone trim and Queen Anne stained glass windows
Areas of significance	Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Social History
Level of significance	Local
Status (as stated in the nomination)	Abandoned by the railroad in the early 1970s, bought privately in 1971 and converted to a restaurant; it still serves as a waiting area for Boston commuters.
Within district	Beverly Depot-Odell Park Historic District
Coordinates	42.54886, -70.88511 (NPS GIS)

What listing means for this property

For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.

Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.

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 09000087.
Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
Wikidata Q4899506
This listing as JSON

Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.