Rosebud, The
Why it's listed
Set at the edge of a small park where Summer and Elm Streets meet, this 1941 diner was prefabricated by the Worcester Lunch Car Company and still serves food in Somerville's Davis Square area. It has a steel frame, black porcelain enamel panels, a monitor roof with a band of clerestory windows, and canted end walls that mark it as a semi-streamliner, a more conservative alternative to the curved streamliner diners of the late 1930s. Inside are a full counter, wood booths, blue tile, and a patterned tile floor. Its first owner, Charles Peveloris, named it after the sled in Citizen Kane. A hamburger restaurant had occupied the site before it. The diner was listed for being one of only seven semi-streamliners known to survive, for its place in the Davis Square business district, and for its largely intact design, materials, and setting. A four-year restoration reversed later alterations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is unique in Somerville and one of very few surviving semi-streamliner diners in Massachusetts, combining traditional and modern diner design of the early 1940s. It is also tied to the commercial history of Davis Square and is a survival of the city's pre-World War II development. It meets Criteria A and C at the state and local levels.
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 99001125, listed September 22, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 381 Summer St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 22, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001125 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1941-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Worcester Lunch Car Company |
| Architectural style | Other: Semi-Streamliner Diner |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as a restaurant; a multi-year restoration reopened the diner in 1995 and exterior restoration was ongoing at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39456, -71.12079 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 99001125.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7761571
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.