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Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District

Coordinates: 42°22′25″N 71°14′37″W / 42.37361°N 71.24361°W / 42.37361; -71.24361
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Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District
Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District is located in Massachusetts
Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District
Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District is located in the United States
Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District
Location128–144 Charles St., Waltham, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°22′25″N 71°14′37″W / 42.37361°N 71.24361°W / 42.37361; -71.24361
Arealess than one acre
Built1865
MPSWaltham MRA
NRHP reference No.89001503[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 28, 1989

The Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District is a residential historic district at 128–144 Charles Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. It consists of four houses on a single city block, all of which are well-preserved vernacular worker houses built in 1865. They are representative of the city's growth of the period, and typify housing built for the city's laborers. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[1]

Description and history

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The district is located on the south side of Charles Street, a predominantly densely-built residential street extending west from the city's Central Square. It consists of a single block of Charles Street, between Williams and Harvard Street, with four uniform houses on it. All are unpretentious vernacular 2-1/2 story wood frame buildings, with simple decorations, and only modest modern alterations. One of the buildings, that at 128-132 Charles, is a duplex; the others are single family houses. The styling of the houses is reminiscent of the Greek Revival, with only one of the three houses sporting a 20th-century porch.[2]

The houses were constructed in 1865 by Edward Campbell, as part of a westward expansion of worker house along the street. The area in which they were built was populated mainly by Irish laborers, as evidenced by what is known of the owners and residents of these houses at the time, and by the use of Irish names for some of the area streets. Early occupants were described in city directories as laborers.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ a b "NRHP nomination for Charles Street Workers' Housing Historic District". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved April 25, 2014.