West Somerville Branch Library
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 at 40 College Avenue, this small granite library serves the Davis Square area of West Somerville and continues to operate as a library. Boston architects McLean and Wright designed it in the Neo-classical style. The building is one and a half stories tall and three bays wide, faced in smooth-cut granite and capped by a shallow hipped roof. Its entrance portico has a triangular pediment carried by Ionic columns and broad pilasters, finished with urns and acroteria, and a modillioned cornice wraps around the structure. The branch began in a store in Davis Square and opened in its own building during the tenure of librarian Samuel Walter Foss, a poet known for "The House By the Side of the Road." Funding came from a $25,000 Carnegie gift plus city appropriations. It was listed for its association with Somerville's municipal building program and growth, and as the city's best-preserved Neo-classical example, since similar buildings elsewhere in the city have been altered.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Somerville's most intact example of the Neo-classical style, with its design, materials and workmanship still preserved. It is also tied to the city's municipal building program and the rapid growth of Somerville at the turn of the century. It is significant at the local level.
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 89001248, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 40 College Ave., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001248 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | McLean and Wright, Boston |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a library; condition described as excellent with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39804, -71.12249 (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 89001248.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7986557
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.