Cottage Farm Historic District, Residential historic district in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Cottage Farm Historic District is a residential neighborhood in Brookline containing 75 historically significant buildings spread across about 67 acres, mainly centered near Essex and Ivy Streets. The area stretches from Dummer Street on the north to Beacon Street on the south, with boundaries between Amory Street on the west and St. Mary's Street on the east.
An industrialist named Amos Lawrence purchased the land in 1850 from David Sears and began subdividing it for residential development. A highway construction moratorium issued by Governor Francis Sargent in 1970 later protected substantial portions of the district from demolition.
The buildings display Gothic Revival, Mansard, Queen Anne, and Georgian Revival styles constructed with brick, stone, shingles, and stucco visible throughout the neighborhood. Walking through the district shows how these different architectural traditions shaped the homes where residents lived and worked.
Walking is the best way to explore the district since it consists of residential streets that are easy to traverse. Daytime hours work best for viewing the area, allowing you to see architectural details and the neighborhood layout clearly.
The district owes much of its preservation to a 1970 decision by Governor Sargent to halt highway construction, which prevented a planned road from cutting through the neighborhood. Without this action, many historic homes would have been demolished for the new route.
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