Waltham Gas and Electric Company Generating Plant
Why it's listed
Built between 1900 and 1909 at 96 Pine Street in Waltham, this concrete building began as an electric generating station for the Waltham Gas and Electric Company. Its poured, scored concrete walls give it a boxy, rusticated look that recalls a truncated Italianate palazzo. The nine-bay street facade is symmetrical, with tall first-story windows aligned with square second-story openings, each topped by a splayed lintel. All the window openings have since been filled with concrete. The plant reflects Waltham's growing demand for power. The gas company added an electric plant in 1886, began supplying a street railway in 1890, and expanded as industry grew. The company sold the plant to Boston Edison in 1909, and in 1917 the steam apparatus was retired and the building became a substation. It is still an electric substation. It stands near the older brick gas company buildings and is judged essentially intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an interesting, essentially intact example of an early 1900s electric generating station. It meets criteria A and C. It reflects the growth of electric power supply in Waltham and continues the site's long association with the illuminating industry.
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 89001537, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 96 Pine St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001537 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early 20th century utilitarian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good. It was converted to an electric substation in 1917, and the form lists its present use as an electric substation. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.37090, -71.23294 (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 89001537.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7966611
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.