Central Square Historic District

Central Square Historic District is a historic neighborhood in Waltham centered around a green common bordered by four streets and ringed with important civic buildings. The buildings surrounding this space include city government offices, a fire station, and a police station, creating the core of this preserved district.

The land was donated in the 1830s by a manufacturing company to create a central gathering point for the growing community. When the railroad arrived a decade later, this square became a crucial intersection of commerce and urban life.

The monuments scattered across the common tell the stories of people and events that shaped the town's identity. They remain central gathering points where locals and visitors pause to remember the place's past.

The district is easy to explore on foot since all the buildings cluster tightly around the central green space. Benches dot the common, providing places to sit and take in the surroundings at a relaxed pace.

Several buildings framing the common were designed by a prominent local architect and display different construction styles spanning from the 1880s to the 1920s. Walking along these facades reveals how building design changed over those four decades.