Arcade Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1926 at 314-320A Harvard Street in Brookline's Coolidge Corner, this arcaded commercial building was designed by George N. Jacobs. Two stories of shops and offices surround a skylit atrium. The flat-roofed structure is faced in cast stone, with Gothic spires and Gothicized piers dividing its five bays, and a precast concrete frieze along the top. Original second-story windows include Chicago-style windows in the outer bays and a tripartite fixed-pane group in the center. The interior remains largely intact. It is the only building of its type in Brookline, and its prototype is thought to be the Middle Eastern bazaar. It went up as Harvard Street, once an early road to Cambridge lined with farms and houses, was becoming a commercial center. Its value lies in representing that later commercial growth and in being a rare regional example of an arcade building. Several storefronts were altered in 1927 and 1958, and the building still houses shops, services and offices.
Significance in brief: The building is described as unique in Brookline and a regional example of an arcaded commercial building, with two stories of shops and offices around a skylit atrium and a largely intact interior. It also represents later commercial development at Coolidge Corner, one of Brookline's two major commercial areas, as Harvard Street lost its residential character.
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 85003247, listed October 17, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 314--320A Harvard St., Brookline |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | October 17, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003247 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George N. Jacobs |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Commercial Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for retail shops, services and offices, as originally; several storefronts were altered in 1927 and 1958. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.34309, -71.12343 (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 85003247.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4785067
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.