Colonial Beacon Gas Station
Why it's listed
Built around 1922 on Main Street in Stoneham, this former Colonial Beacon gas station was designed as a flagship for the Massachusetts-based Colonial Oil Company by the Boston architects Coolidge and Carlson. The one-story building is made of cinder block finished in stucco. It has two parts: an open, domed octagonal drive-through pump area supported by Corinthian columns, and a flat-roofed, two-bay service area. A tall lantern topped by a grillework globe once held the light that gave the station its beacon name. A Doric cornice and a parapet with starburst panels tie the two parts together. It is the best preserved of four surviving Neo-classical stations of the chain in the state. The site lies on Main Street, laid out in 1806 as a turnpike and later improved as Route 28, an early automobile highway. After World War II the station took on retail uses, and the drive-through was enclosed and glazed around 1975. It now houses a fruit and flower shop, and its original form remains intact.
Significance in brief: It is described as the best preserved of four surviving Neo-classical 1920s Colonial Oil Company gas stations in Massachusetts. It is also an unusually sophisticated example of early automobile-related commercial architecture by a noted Boston firm. It is linked to the growth of automobile travel along Main Street (Route 28) in the Boston area.
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 84002554, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 474 Main St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002554 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Coolidge and Carlson |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical gas station |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a fruit and flower shop; the drive-through was enclosed and glazed around 1975, and the original structure is said to remain intact. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.47589, -71.10060 (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 84002554.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5148296
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.