Quincy Water Company Pumping Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1883 on Penn Street in southwest Quincy, this small brick building served as the pumping station for the Quincy Water Company, the town's first public water supplier. A brick-enclosed well in the front yard tapped groundwater from the Town Brook watershed, and water was pumped to a standpipe on Penn's Hill for distribution. The cross-gabled building held an office, a shop and a superintendent's apartment. Its small scale gives it a residential look, and its ornament is limited to segmental arched window hoods, granite sills and a plain cornice board. A one-story brick extension with a corbelled cornice had been added by 1888. The city bought the station in 1892, joined the Metropolitan Water District in 1897, and stopped using the building after 1899. It is now privately owned and used for storage and manufacturing. It is recognized for its link to Quincy's late 19th-century utility development and its vernacular Italianate design.
Significance in brief: The station is tied to Quincy's first public water supply and the growth of its utilities in the late 19th century. It is also described as a fine example of vernacular Italianate design. The form says it meets Criterion A on 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 89001361, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 106 Penn St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001361 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair. Use of the pumping station was discontinued after 1899, and it is now privately owned and used for storage and manufacturing. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.23586, -71.00700 (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 89001361.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7272196
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.