From Dave Brigham:
With apologies to residents of the community, I've long considered Belmont, Mass., a pass-through town. Coming from Newton, where I live, I would cut along Belmont's Pleasant Street to get to Route 2, and then on to Lanes & Games in Cambridge (R.I.P.). Or I would traverse that street on my way to Arlington to drop my son at a friend's house, or to see his school put on a play at that town's Regent Theatre.
I must always remember the primary Backside maxim: get out of the car, explore, learn.
Located less than a dozen miles northwest of Boston, Belmont (loose French translation: beautiful mountain) was established in 1859 "by former citizens of, and on land from the bordering towns of, Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then known as West Cambridge, to the north," according to Wikipedia. "The town was named after Bellmont, the 200-acre estate of the largest donor to its creation, John Perkins Cushing, after which Cushing Square is named." I'll cover Mr. Cushing and the square in the final post about Belmont.
Belmont was primarily a farming town until trolley servicee was introduced in the early years of the 20th century, Wikipedia continues. The town took on a more suburban feel then, with many large estates.
Today, the town "remains a primarily residential suburb, with little population growth since the 1950s," Wikipedia indicates. "It is best known for the mansion-filled Belmont Hill neighborhood, although most residents live in more densely settled, low-lying areas around the Hill."
It is a quiet town, a lovely town, and one with three primary commercial districts. In this post, I will cover Belmont Center; in two subsequent write-ups I will discuss Waverley Square and Cushing Square.
My first stop -- and how could it not be? -- was the stunning town hall.
I mean, holy cow, look at this place! Built in 1881, this Queen Anne-style masterpiece was desgined by Henry Hartwell, a well-known Boston architect whose works include the gorgeous First Spiritual Temple in Boston and both the Masonic Building and the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church in Newtonville, Mass., each of which I mention in this post from 2023.
In addition to serving as Belmont's town hall, the building has over the years provided space for the school committee, the fire department and the police department's jail, according to MACRIS. The Belmont Savings Bank also used space in the building.
At the main entrance is a monument to the men of Belmont who died in the Civil War.
Across Pleasant Street and up a short yet steep hill is Belmont Woman's Club.
Established in 1920, the club was organized to encourage women’s active involvement in educational and philanthropic activities, per its web site. These days, the club, which is comprised of both female and male members, sponsors community events and "awards scholarships to graduating Belmont High School students who demonstrate leadership qualities and an interest in art or history, and hosts regular lectures on diverse topics such as civil rights, global travel, and the little-known inventions of actress Hedy Lamar" (sic) (!!).
The members also act as stewards of the circa-1853 William Flagg Homer House in which the club is located. From MACRIS: "The William Flagg Homer House is significant because of its association with the 19th century American artist, Winslow Homer. The structure was built by the artist's Uncle (sic) in 1853, and although Winslow Homer did not reside here, he did live and paint nearby. Two paintings associated with his period in Belmont are "Croquet Scenes" (sic) and "Making Havelocks for the Front" (sic).
From here I turned east down Moore Street. I made a photo of #18, because a) I like the blue-tile exterior and b) I thought maybe it used to be "something."
I haven't found any interesting history for this place. I can't even be sure of the year it was built, although it may have been 1985. Current tenants include a handful of dental-related businesses. You win some, you lose some.
On a second trip to Belmont, I made two images along Leonard Street, the main commercial strip.
I was battling the sun, so only made one photo of buildings on the east side of the street. On the right in the image below is 65-89 Leonard Street, home to businesses including The Toy Shop of Belmont, Thai restaurant Patou and a Citizens Bank branch.
Known as the Locatelli Block Addition, this circa-1941 Colonial Revival building is similar in look to the building just to its north, as well as the Locatelli Block (circa 1940) just south of it. Both the original and the addition were constructed by the Albert Locatelli Co. of neighboring Arlington, according to MACRIS. "Filene’s was the first store to open in the new block," according to MACRIS. "In addition to Filene’s the other early store tenants included #65 – First National Stores; #69 – Ben Franklin Stores; #71 – Ye Goodie Shoppe, candies; #73 – Town and Country, women’s wear and #75 – Lewandos, Launderers."
As for the Locatelli Block original building, in 1944 "the tenants of the block were #49 – The Cleanliness shop; #51 – Beauty House; #53 – Dorothy Muriel, bakers; #55 – Hood’s Creamery; #59 – Sage’s Market; #61 – Macy Drug Co.; and #63 – U.E. Slocum, florist," MACRIS indicates.
Directly across from the first Locatelli building is a gorgeous former firehouse.
Built in 1899, the Belmont Center Fire Station is the oldest of the town's three stations. Current tenants include Il Casale, an Italian restaurant, and Knightsbridge, a venture capital firm.
I continued walking south along Leonard Street until it turned into Concord Avenue, passed under the MBTA commuter rail bridge, and then headed east. The furthest point I went in that direction was a Mobil gas station with a nice Pegasus logo above its restroom doors.
In my mind, this flying-horse trademark is one of greatest of all time - based in Greek mythology, bold in color, instantly recognizable. From the Lost and Foundry blog:
"The origins of the Pegasus imagery go back to 1866 with Vacuum Oil....Vacuum was bought by Standard Oil in 1879...[I]n 1911 the Vacuum Oil company changed their logo from the Gargoyle to the Pegasus trademark....In 1911 the US Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil was to be dissolved into 43 companies, Vacuum being one of them. In 1931 Vacuum Oil and Socony merged. The pegasus – a symbol of speed and power – was adopted as the trademark of the two companies....In 1963 Socony rebranded as Mobil."
While I was more than happy to spot the old Pegasus, I'd decided to head east on Concord Avenue in order to spy what was at #395. I made a photo of the building there as I walked back toward Belmont Center.
This building is home to the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. Belmont and its neighborhing communities of Watertown and Cambridge are home to one of the largest Armenian-American communities in the United States.
What drew my interest to this site, however, isn't its current use. According to Wikipedia, a building that stood on this site prior to 2018 was the headquarters of the John Birch Society from its founding in 1958 until its relocation to Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1989.
I don't recall how I found out about the JBS in Belmont, but I was surprised. If you're not familiar with the society, I'll just leave you with Wikipedia's description: it is "an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, right-wing populist, and right-wing libertarian ideas."
Continuing west on Concord Avenue, I was charmed by a small retail building next to the tunnel under the tracks.
I feel like this quaint place would slot nicely into a village in the Swiss Alps. I especially like the clock. I haven't found out anything about this building, unfortunately. Current tenants include Good Look Optical and The Luxe Dose med spa.
Across Concord Avenue is Belmont's First Unitarian Church.
Built in 1890, this Richardsonian Romanesque beauty was designed by well-known firm Hartwell and Richardson. The architecture outfit "contributed significantly to the current building stock and architecture of the greater Boston area," per Wikipedia. "Many of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places."
Back on the other side of the street, just north of where Concord Avenue merges into Common Street is the historic Belmont Railroad Station along Royal Road. As you can see, this place is currently occupied by the Belmont Lions Club, and is undergoing renovations.
"The Belmont Railroad Station is a significant early 20th century railroad station which is distinctive for its creative rubble stone and stucco construction in a Craftsman-influenced style," according to MACRIS. "The structure was built into the elevated grade of the railroad tracks, a feature which is indicated stylistically by the stepped pattern of the front porch openings from east to west."
The station was built in 1908 from a design by the Ludowici-Celadon Company, per MACRIS. That outfit traces its origins to 1888 with the formation of the Celadon Terra Cotta Company in Alfred, New York, according to Wikipedia. The company does business today as Ludowici Roof Tile.
"The station was built by the Boston and Maine Railroad Company which had acquired the Fitchburg Railroad line (established in 1843) and the Central Mass. Line (established in 1881) in 1902," according to MACRIS. The decision to elevate the tracks at this location was to allow Concord Avenue and other streets to pass underneath for convenience."
The station serves as a stop on the MBTA's Fitchburg commuter rail line.
While you wait -- ever so eagerly, I'm sure -- for the next parts of this Belmont series, check out the links below for past coverage of the town.
November 21, 2017, "Punk Farm?"
July 2, 2013, "Ped Xing"
May 28, 2013, "Small, But Useful"
November 25, 2012, "Crouching Barn, Hidden Mill"
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