Boston and Maine Railroad Depot
Why it's listed
Built around 1895 at 36 Pine Street, this brick depot served the Boston & Maine Railroad in Stoneham. It is a low, one-story rectangular building under an overhanging hipped roof. Granite stringcourses form a watertable and window sills, and the 12/12 sash windows are interspersed with five-panel doors topped by rectangular transoms. A cross gable with decorative shingles holds a large fanlight that was once glazed and has since been blocked. The station replaced a gambrel-roofed frame depot shown on an 1879 bird's-eye view, built when the railroad reached Franklin Street in 1863. Beside Central Square, it reinforced the area's role as the town's commercial, institutional and industrial center and reflects Stoneham's development as a commuter suburb. It is the only 19th-century depot still on its original site, since the Farm Hill station was moved and converted to housing. The building retains its original location, design, materials and workmanship.
Significance in brief: The depot is cited for its integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship, and for its association with Stoneham's growth as a commuter suburb. It replaced an earlier frame station and is the only 19th-century depot in town still on its original site.
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 84002510, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 36 Pine St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002510 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | None stated (form lists style as "None") |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a printing service at the time of the survey; the form lists the original use as a train station, and the once-glazed gable fanlight has been blocked. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.47846, -71.09748 (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 84002510.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4948219
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.