The four buildings in Newton are the only extant stations of thirteen designed by H.H. Richardson and his successors Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge in Allston/Brighton, Newton, and Brookline for the Boston and Albany's Newton Circuit between 1881 and 1894.[2] Most originally had their grounds designed by landscape architectFrederick Law Olmsted, but none of the landscaping has survived.[3]
On March 25, 1976, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Woodland, Newton Highlands, and Newton Centre Railroad Stations, and Baggage and Express Building.
Woodland Railroad Station: Designed by Richardson (likely with significant input from Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge); constructed in 1886. Now used for storage for an adjacent golf course; the modern station is some distance away.
Newton Centre Railroad Station: Designed by Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge; constructed in 1891. Now houses a restaurant, with eaves and canopy providing shelter for the modern station.
Baggage and Express Building: constructed next to Newton Centre Railroad Station in 1891. Part of the structure has been demolished; the remaining portion has been integrated into a private business building.
^Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl (June 1988). "Architecture for the Boston & Albany Railroad: 1881–1894". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 47 (2). doi:10.2307/990324. JSTOR990324.
^ abRoy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. pp. 198–200, 261, 274. ISBN9780942147087.
