District 13 Police Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1873 at 28 Seaverns Avenue in Jamaica Plain, this red brick police station was the last major municipal project of the Town of West Roxbury before its annexation to Boston. George Ropes was paid as architect. Sandstone trim, pointed-arch windows with red and beige voussoirs, a bracketed cornice and a steep slate roof give it a High Victorian Gothic character that stands out among the surrounding frame houses. It is the only Gothic style municipal building in Jamaica Plain. In 1892 City Architect Edmund M. Wheelwright designed an annex with a patrol-wagon house, stable, courtroom and dormitory, built by John Mack, Jr. Its Romanesque-derived details were meant to relate to the original building. A later renovation, probably in the 1920s, converted the stables to a garage and added Georgian Revival touches, and the roof was replaced in 1937. Old jail cell bars and original lockers survive inside. The building served as a police station until its conversion to condominiums in the early 1980s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant as an unusual example of High Victorian Gothic style in an area of mostly frame houses. It is the only Gothic style municipal building in Jamaica Plain and one of few high Victorian buildings in Boston. The 1892 annex by City Architect Edmund M. Wheelwright adds Romanesque-derived details related to the original design.
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 87002549, listed February 10, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 28 Seaverns Ave., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | February 10, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002549 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Edmund M. Wheelwright; George Ropes |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Gothic |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Served as the neighborhood police station until converted to condominiums in the early 1980s; current function is listed as multiple dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.31204, -71.11231 (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 87002549.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5283233
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.