Arlington Pumping Station
Why it's listed
Brattle Court in Arlington, Massachusetts, is home to a brick pumping station completed in 1907 for the Metropolitan Water Board. Designed by C. A. Dodge in the Renaissance Revival style, it is a well-preserved 1½-story rectangular building on a battered raised basement under a hipped roof. A three-bay enclosed porch has an arched central opening, brownstone trim accents the symmetrical windows, and a large brick chimney rises at the rear. Arlington joined the Metropolitan Water System in 1898 and gave up its own system, and this station supplied the town alongside a standpipe. It was placed beside a railroad line so coal for its steam engines was easy to deliver. Two engines were first installed, and a steam turbine-driven pump was added in 1917. Diesel engines replaced the steam equipment between 1944 and 1952. The station still pumps water for the town and is valued as a fine example of turn-of-the-century municipal improvement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a fine Renaissance Revival example of Arlington's municipal improvements at the turn of the century. It also reflects the town's 1898 entry into the Metropolitan Water System. The building retains integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.
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 85001022, listed April 18, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Brattle Court off Brattle St., Arlington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 18, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001022 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | C. A. Dodge (architect); built by the Metropolitan Water Board |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continues to serve as a pumping station for the Town of Arlington; interior altered with replaced pumps, new rooms and metal frame windows (ca. 1983). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.42210, -71.16973 (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 85001022.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4792389
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.