Boston Edison Power Station
Why it's listed
Across from Newton City Hall, this one-story power station on Homer Street began in 1904 as a small hip-roofed building with three bays per side. Expansions in 1910 and 1913 left it more than four times its original size while keeping the original eclectic design. Built by the Edison Electric Illuminating Company and designed by Bigelow & Wadsworth, it has stuccoed concrete walls, brick quoins, cast stone trim, a coved cornice with acanthus leaves and a red tile roof with exposed rafters. Its symmetrical facade uses classical elements in unconventional ways, a approach described as Mannerist. The station mattered because it supplied power to Newton's street railway system after the nearby Middlesex Street Railway power station closed in 1910, converting alternating current to direct current for lighting and the railways. It is valued for its early role in electrifying the city and as an example of industrial architecture. Today it serves as a distribution center for the city's electrical service.
Significance in brief: The station is significant for its early role in bringing electricity to Newton and for its ties to the street railway system, which it powered after 1910. It is also considered an important piece of industrial architecture because of its eclectic Mannerist Classical Revival design by the well-known firm of Bigelow & Wadsworth.
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 90000023, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 374 Homer St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000023 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904-1913 |
| Architect / builder | Bigelow & Wadsworth |
| Architectural style | Mannerist Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition and still in use as a power station; today it is a distribution center for electrical service to Newton. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.33650, -71.20975 (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 90000023.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4947894
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.