Almshouse (Stoneham, Massachusetts)

Almshouse
Location 136 Elm St., Stoneham, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°29′30″N 71°5′17″W / 42.49167°N 71.08806°W / 42.49167; -71.08806Coordinates: 42°29′30″N 71°5′17″W / 42.49167°N 71.08806°W / 42.49167; -71.08806
Area 2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built 1852 (1852)
Architect Unknown
Architectural style Greek Revival
MPS Stoneham MRA
NRHP Reference #

84002464

[1]
Added to NRHP April 13, 1984

The Almshouse is a historic almshouse at 136 Elm Street in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Built in 1852, it is one of the few surviving buildings of this type in the Greater Boston area. It is now part of the Stoneham Senior Center, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[1]

Description and history

The former Stoneham Almshouse is located in eastern Stoneham, near the town line with Wakefield on the north side of Elm Street. It is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, with a gabled roof, clapboarded exterior, and granite foundation. It basically a functional vernacular structure, with minimal Greek Revival styling found in the main entrance surround. The interior follows a relatively retardaire (out-of-date for the period) central hall plan. The original building has been encrusted with additions to the sides and rear.[2]

The almshouse was built in 1852 to provide facilities for the town's indigent adult population. It was the town's second such facility, and is now one of the few in the region to survive. Its original 17-acre (6.9 ha) lot has been reduce to just two by subdivision and development, but it retains its original long entry drive. It served for a time in the 20th century as a nursing home,[2] and now houses the town's senior center.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Almshouse". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-01-22.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.