The Arcade Building is a historic commercial building at 314–320A Harvard Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. Built in 1926, it is a two-story cast stone structure, with an interior arcade lined by small shops. It is the only arcaded commercial building in Brookline.[2] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]
Arcade Building | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | 314–320A Harvard St., Brookline, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°20′35″N 71°7′26″W / 42.34306°N 71.12389°W |
| Architect | Jacobs, George N. |
| Architectural style | Commercial Gothic |
| MPS | Brookline MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003247[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 1985 |
Description and history
editThe Arcade Building is located on the south side of Harvard Street, a major north–south route through eastern Brookline. It is on the west side of Coolidge Corner, one of the town's major retail areas. It is a two-story commercial structure, built out of concrete and cast stone. The front facade is topped by a precast concrete frieze, with Gothic spires above at the bounds of the building's five bays. The interior of the building consists of a long two-story skylit atrium that is flanked by small shops on two levels. The interior retains many of its original features and fixtures.[2]
The Arcade was built in 1926 by a local real estate developer named Johnson, to a design by George N. Jacobs. It is the only building of its type in Brookline, reminiscent of (but on a much smaller scale than) the Westminster Arcade, the nation's first enclosed shopping arcade, in Providence, Rhode Island. At the time of its construction, that part of Harvard Avenue was undergoing a rapid transition from a predominantly residential area to a more densely-built commercial area.[2] The building continues to house retail spaces and professional offices.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c "NRHP nomination for Arcade Building". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-05-12.