Company F State Armory
Why it's listed
Company F State Armory is a brick building at Curtis and Sharon Streets in Waltham, completed in 1908 at a cost given as $45,000 and dedicated that December. Its main block has two stories over a full basement, a projecting central pavilion with flanking wings, a deep recessed arched entrance with original doors and medieval-revival hardware, and a stepped parapet. Behind it is a long drill shed with corbelled and recessed side panels. Brick quoins at the corners add a Georgian Revival touch to otherwise medieval-style armory motifs. The Boston firm Hartwell, Richardson and Driver designed it, and partner Henry Hartwell lived in Waltham. Rufus E. Lord of Waltham was the builder. It is the city's only armory and was among the last built to a custom design, since a standardized plan was approved by the State Armory Commission later in 1908. Its design, materials and workmanship set it apart from other armories of the period, and the building remains in good condition with no major alterations.
Significance in brief: It is the only Waltham component of the state armory system and one of the last state armories built to an individualized design before a standard plan was adopted in 1908. Its design, materials and workmanship are described as distinguished compared with other armories of the period. It meets criterion C.
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 89001571, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Curtis and Sharon Sts., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001571 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Hartwell, Richardson and Driver (architects); built by Rufus E. Lord of Waltham |
| Architectural style | Elements of Georgian (Georgian Revival with medieval-revival motifs) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good, with no major alterations; the form lists its present use as an armory. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.36963, -71.24747 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 89001571.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5155520
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.