Center Depot
Why it's listed
Center Depot is a one-story clapboard railroad station at 57 Water Street in Wakefield, Massachusetts, built around 1870-73 and recorded in the Queen Anne style. Its slate hip roof overhangs the walls deeply, sheltering waiting passengers, and rests on deep braces fixed to paneled pilasters with scalloped trim. An octagonal bay window with colored glass, probably used by the ticket agent, and a baggage platform are typical of railroad buildings of the period. Later changes include filled windows and a new entry on the east side around 1920. The depot served lines that turned South Reading from a thinly settled farming community into an industrial center and commuter suburb. Those lines carried goods for the Wakefield Rattan Company, the town's largest employer, and served the L.B. Evans shoe factory nearby. The building is considered a well-preserved example of its type and is now a restaurant.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a well-preserved example of its type. It is tied to the railroad that helped Wakefield grow as an industrial center in the third quarter of the 19th century. It retains integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and meets Criteria A and C at the local level.
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 89000693, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 57 Water St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000693 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Presently used as a restaurant; originally a railroad depot. Condition listed as fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50261, -71.06749 (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 89000693.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5059287
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.