Middleborough Waterworks
Why it's listed
Middleborough Waterworks is a two-part complex that supplied the town's water. Beside the Nemasket River stand an 1885 brick pumping station in the Queen Anne style, designed by Boston architect Ernest N. Boyden, and a stone- and brick-lined well designed by engineer Percy M. Blake. A 1913 deferrization plant, designed by Robert Spurr Weston, was added to remove excess iron from the water using aeration and coke filtration. On Barden Hill, a 162-foot reinforced concrete tower tank was built in 1915 to a design by George A. Sampson. The system was created after insurance rates rose sharply in 1883 because the town lacked water, and it helped the town grow and its industries expand. The iron-removal plant is among the earliest in the United States and still operates with few changes. The tower tank, the first of its material in Massachusetts, has been out of service since 1970 and has suffered concrete cracking and balcony collapse.
Significance in brief: The pumping station and well are an intact engineering complex designed by engineer Percy M. Blake, and the station is a well-detailed example of architect Ernest N. Boyden's work. The 1913 deferrization plant is among the earliest US water treatment plants for iron removal. The 1915 tower tank was the first reinforced concrete tank of its kind in Massachusetts and was held to be the world's highest at the time.
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 90000129, listed March 2, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E. Grove St. at Nesmasket River and Wareham St. at Barden Hill Rd., Middleborough |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | March 2, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000129 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1885 - 1921 |
| Architect / builder | Blake, Percy M.; Boyden, Ernest N.; Weston, Robert Spurr; Sampson, George A.; Faunce, Q. A. |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne; No Style |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The pumping station complex's deferrization plant remains in service; the Barden Hill tower tank has been out of service since 1970 and is deteriorating, with portions of its balcony collapsed. Current functions list vacant/not in use alongside waterworks. |
| Acreage | 8.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.88652, -70.89562 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90000129.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6841714
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.