One Hundred Years of Jamaica Plain Architecture

I did a photographic survey of the older houses in Jamaica Plain this year, and I've been looking for something to do with them. Here, I've decided to show the oldest houses with dates taken mostly from the Landmark Commission survey of Jamaica Plain buildings. This is not a comprehensive survey, but a "most information with the least effort" listing. The dates for many houses show a range; for example, "between 1858-1874." The dating was done with maps and directories, so in this case the house doesn't show up in an 1858 directory, but does in an 1874 map. Deeds tell when land was purchased, but not when houses were built, so getting exact dates is impossible in many, if not most cases. The dates come mostly from the Landmark Commission survey of Jamaica Plain buildings that was done in the 1980s - I'll post the reference soon. I've put them in approximate order, with a cutoff of about 1874. Why 1874? It includes all the oldest houses, and leaves the Queen Anne houses for another time. I will be adding houses as I find the time and the energy. The main intent is to allow you to scroll down the page and see how house styles changed over time. Enjoy.

Note: You can see these and many more pictures of pre-20th Century Jamaica Plain houses at the J.P. Historical Society web site here.




Loring-Greenough House - 1760




1085 Centre street - by 1796



526 Centre street - by 1806



812-814 Centre street - between 1802-1810



1090 Centre street - 1820s


48 Goldsmith street - probably pre-1830; moved from another location.


52 Eliot street - 1822-1843.


50 Eliot street - between 1822-1843.



991 Centre street - by 1832, possibly 18th century.




1011 Centre street - by 1832.



1 Dane street - 1833-1834.



800 Centre street - by 1847


45R Green street - around 1842.



33-35 Green street - 1840-41.



47 Eliot street - by 1843.


305 Chestnut avenue - 1844-48.




63 May street - 1840s.


5 Eliot place - between 1843-1854.


20 Seaverns avenue - 1845-1846.



18 Seaverns avenue - 1845-1846.



14 Seaverns avenue - 1840-1845.




28 Lakeville, between 1842-1845.


317 Lamartine street - between 1843-1858.



28 Cheshire street - between 1849-58.



242 Pond street - between 1849-1859.


85 May street - between 1848-1859.


27 Eliot street - around 1850.



146 Forest Hills street - 1852.


11 Harris avenue - 1850s.


83 Elm street - 1854-55.



9 Harris avenue - between 1850-1858.



16-18 Harris avenue - 1852-1859.



1-2 Greenough park - front, 1856; back, later addition.



793 Centre street - 1854-59




252 Chestnut avenue - probably by 1858.



6 Marlou terrace - by 1858.



11 Newsome park - by 1859.




195 Chestnut avenue - 1858-59.




268 Chestnut avenue - probably by 1858; by 1866.



253 Lamartine street - between 1858-1871.



17 St John street - between 1849-1856.



101 McBride street - around 1864.


7 Revere street - 1865-1866.



233 Chestnut avenue - possibly by 1867; by 1871




41 Clive street - between 1866-1877.


223 Chestnut avenue - by 1868.



244 Chestnut avenue - probably by 1865; by 1871.



61 Pond street - between 1859-1874.




9 Myrtle street - 1859-1863.



8 Myrtle street - 1859-1863.



22 Orchard street - between 1859-1874.



57 Orchard street - between 1859-1874.




45 Orchard street - betwen 1859-1874.





21 Myrtle street - 1859-1874.




18 Myrtle street - 1859-1874.




11 Myrtle street - 1859-1874.



180 Moss Hill road - 1855-1874.




85 McBride street - 1866-1874.


88 Seaverns avenue - around 1870


84 Seaverns avenue - around 1870.




90 Seaverns avenue - around 1870.





73 Elm street - around 1875.


5 Eliot street - between 1859-1874.



28 Eliot street - between 1874-1884.



7 Eliot place - by 1875.


15 Custer street - between 1859-1874



145 Chestnut avenue - by 1872.



803 Centre street - between 1871-74



271-273 Chestnut avenue - by 1874.