Union Station
Also known as: Concord Junction Depot
Why it's listed
Union Station is a small railroad depot at 20 Commonwealth Avenue in West Concord, Massachusetts, erected in 1893 where the Fitchburg Railroad met the Lowell and Framingham line of the Old Colony system. Its one-story, L-shaped wood frame sits under a broad slate hipped roof with deep eaves supported by braced posts. Originally the waiting room, baggage room and freight office were separate sections beneath one roof; the freight office was later demolished. Details include a round bay for the station master, eyelid dormers, leaded stained glass transoms, and decorative copper roof trim. The station was listed for its place in local transportation history and its Queen Anne design. The junction brought market gardening to local farms, supported nearby factories, and carried as many as 125 trains a day around 1900. Passenger service declined through the twentieth century. The building is the only intact railroad-related structure left in West Concord, and it was vacant when nominated.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant for its role in the area's transportation history, linking an agricultural area to a national rail network and contributing to the growth and industrialization of West Concord. It is also a notable, largely intact example of a Queen Anne style railroad station. It is the only intact railroad-related building left on its original site in West Concord.
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 89000143, listed March 2, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Commonwealth Ave., Concord |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 2, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000143 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893-1938 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a restaurant in recent years, but vacant at the time of nomination, with plans for purchase by the Town of Concord and eventual restoration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.45672, -71.39384 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 89000143.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7984863
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.