Strong's Block
Why it's listed
Strong's Block is a red brick commercial building at 1637-51 Beacon Street in Waban, a village of Newton, Massachusetts. Completed in 1896 to designs by Lewis H. Bacon, a Waban resident and partner in the firm Hill & Bacon, it rises two and one-half stories and recalls Flemish Renaissance architecture. A slate gable roof with stepped end parapets forms the focal point, and the motif repeats in the center gable of the facade. Decorative brick panels sit beneath the gable and second-story windows, while neighboring windows have jack arches. Apartments occupied the upper floors above ground-level storefronts. Additions on the west side in the 1920s were designed sympathetically. William C. Strong, a prominent local citizen, had the block built for Waban's growing population. He had helped bring the Circuit Railroad through the area in the 1880s and laid out Windsor Road for house lots. It was listed as one of Newton's few intact nineteenth-century commercial blocks.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that it is one of Newton's few remaining intact nineteenth-century commercial blocks, with integrity of design and location and a high level of workmanship and materials. It also reflects the suburban growth of Waban, which William C. Strong helped stimulate through the Circuit Railroad and his Windsor Road house lots.
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 86001891, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1637--1651 Beacon St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001891 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Lewis H. Bacon (of Hill & Bacon) |
| Architectural style | Dutch Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition and described as a present commercial block; upper floors were originally apartments with ground-level storefronts. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.32654, -71.23101 (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 86001891.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7624432
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.