Hoosac Stores 1 & 2-Hoosac Stores 3
Why it's listed
Two brick warehouses and the rail corridor between them form this Charlestown waterfront district on Water Street, now Constitution Road. Hoosac Stores 1 & 2, built in 1895 by the Fitchburg Railroad for wool storage, is a six-story, trapezoidal red brick building with heavy timber interior framing, slit windows and metal-clad shutters. Hoosac Stores 3 began in 1875 as a storehouse for the Cunningham Iron Works and was converted to wool storage in 1897. Its facade has brick pilasters, recessed arched panels and paired windows. The railroad right-of-way dates to 1836-38 and once served wharves, a grain elevator and warehouses of the Hoosac Docks, which handled much of Boston's grain and wool trade after the Hoosac Tunnel opened in 1876. The buildings are valued as rare surviving waterfront warehouses and as evidence of the port's industrial and rail-linked commerce. Both were vacant or nearly so when documented.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the warehouses are significant architecturally and as evidence of America's industrial revolution and Boston's late nineteenth-century port trade. Hoosac Stores 1 & 2 was purpose-built for storage on a constrained urban lot, while Hoosac Stores 3 exemplifies classically inspired panelled brick industrial design and is the only surviving evidence of Charlestown's machine shop and boiler making industry. Together with the right-of-way they mark the site of the Hoosac Docks complex, among the few surviving warehouses of their type on Boston's waterfront.
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 85002339, listed August 14, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 25 and 115 Water St., Charlestown |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | August 14, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002339 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- (specific dates 1875-1895) |
| Architect / builder | Fitchburg Railroad |
| Architectural style | Classically inspired panelled brick industrial style (Hoosac Stores 3); utilitarian mill-type brick warehouse (Hoosac Stores 1 & 2) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Economics, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Hoosac Stores 3 has been vacant since 1977, with a 1981 zoning variance to convert it to eight apartments. Hoosac Stores 1 & 2 was used as a storehouse until 1980 and was acquired by the National Park Service in 1981. The form lists present use as vacant and condition as deteriorated to fair. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.37125, -71.06062 (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).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 85002339.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5898509
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.