Wakefield, MA

Bandstand at the Lower Common (Lake Quannapowitt)

Built in 1885, this wood-and-granite bandstand anchors the Lower Common on Lake Quannapowitt, a civic gathering spot for concerts and ceremonies. Its heavy timber posts, granite base, and open pavilion form make it a durable reference for exterior wood restoration and stone repointing near open water.

Phone: (781) 486-3795

Official listing (Friends of Lake Quannapowitt)

Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Opened in 1922, the Classical Revival library uses limestone, brick, and a temple-front portico to define Wakefield’s civic core. Its masonry detailing, slate roofing, and monumental entry are benchmarks for envelope restoration and stone conservation in public buildings.

Phone: (781) 246-6334

Official site

United States Post Office — Wakefield Main

Constructed in 1936, this one-story Classical Revival post office was a Depression-era federal project. Brick spandrels and limestone trim create a robust envelope; preservation focuses on masonry cleaning, window restoration, and controlled drainage at grade.

Historic registry entry

Wakefield Trust Company Building

Built in 1924, this limestone bank at 371 Main Street presents a projecting temple front with four classical columns. Its carved stone, bronze doors, and original storefront systems make it a case study for façade stabilization and compatible storefront retrofits.

Historic registry entry

Beebe Homestead

This Federal-period estate (c.1810) overlooks Lake Quannapowitt and showcases refined classical woodwork and brick nogging behind clapboards. Its portico, pilasters, and historic sash guide best practices for exterior carpentry repairs and paint analysis.

Historic registry entry

Beacon Street Tomb (Lakeside Cemetery)

Dating to ca.1858, this Greek Revival receiving tomb uses ashlar granite and a Doric-columned pediment. The site is a prime reference for granite conservation, joint repointing, and moisture management at grade in funerary structures.

Historic registry entry

Lakeside Cemetery

Established in 1848 along Lake Quannapowitt, Lakeside Cemetery blends 19th-century landscape design with stone markers and tombs. Contractors will note the variety of stone types and settlement patterns typical of lakeside soils.

Phone: (781) 246-2256

Historic burial ground reference

Wakefield Upper Depot (25 Tuttle Street)

The former Boston & Maine “Upper Depot” served the town’s rail era and is listed on the National Register. Timber framing, brick piers, and platform canopies here inform platform drainage and wood restoration strategies near rail corridors.

Historic imagery

Wakefield Station (MBTA, 225 North Avenue)

Active commuter rail stop with remnants of historic fabric around the right-of-way. The site demonstrates accessibility retrofits, platform resurfacing, and snow/ice control solutions for exposed rail platforms.

Station gallery

Greenwood Station (MBTA)

Serving Wakefield’s Greenwood neighborhood, the station illustrates small-footprint platform design and signage. Its compact shelters and steel railings are typical of durable, low-maintenance commuter facilities.

Phone: (617) 222-8001

Station gallery

Greenwood Union Church (now Restoration Road Church)

Designed in 1884 by Wait & Cutter, the former Greenwood Union Church is a Queen Anne landmark with later additions. Shingle patterns, wood trim, and asymmetrical massing provide guidance for period-correct exterior carpentry.

Phone: (781) 589-7018

Historic registry entry

Unitarian Universalist Church of Wakefield

At 326 Main Street, this 19th-century meetinghouse represents the town’s ecclesiastical core. Its clapboard envelope, stained glass, and steeple carpentry highlight typical risks—water ingress at tower bases and paint failure on windward façades.

Phone: (781) 245-4632

Official site

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Founded as a mission in 1869, Emmanuel’s building at 5 Bryant Street mixes Gothic-influenced detailing with traditional New England forms. Masonry buttresses, pointed-arch openings, and slate roofing require careful mortar selection and flashing upgrades.

Phone: (781) 245-1374

Official site

First Parish Congregational Church

Overlooking the Lower Common at the town’s historic center, First Parish maintains a prominent timber-frame and steeple profile. Work here typically involves steeple stabilization, clapboard repairs, and lead-paint management on high exposures.

Historic overview

West Ward School (39 Prospect Street)

Built in 1847, this two-story Greek Revival schoolhouse is now a museum property. Original clapboards, window proportions, and cornice returns make it an excellent model for historically accurate trim profiles and paint systems.

Historic registry entry

Woodville School (Historic Site)

The 1919–20 Dutch Colonial Revival Woodville School (NRHP) was replaced by a new building in 2003 but remains important in town history. Its brick detailing and gambrel massing inform context-sensitive additions in school campuses.

Background

Emerson–Franklin Poole House

Circa 1795 at 23 Salem Street, this Federal residence contains murals attributed to itinerant artist Rufus Porter. Its plaster finishes and interior murals require conservation-grade environmental control and careful paint analysis.

Historic registry entry

E. Boardman House

Built in 1790, “Boardman’s Folly” is a three-story Federal mansion noted for its hip roof and finely scaled fenestration. Exterior envelope work should preserve the delicate window proportions and original wood trim profiles.

Historic registry entry

Colonel James Hartshorne House

Wakefield’s oldest public building sits at 41 Church Street with 17th–18th century fabric. Restoration involves timber frame stabilization, lime-based mortars, and preservation of wide-board sheathing and early sash.

Phone: (781) 245-3935

Official site

Temple Israel Cemetery

Wakefield’s Jewish burial ground features modest fieldstone and granite markers in a contemplative setting. Work emphasizes respectful stone resetting, biological growth removal, and careful base drainage.

Phone: (617) 566-3960

Cemetery information

Wakefield Rattan Company Site (134 Water Street)

Once the world’s leading rattan works, the Water Street complex (NRHP listing) illustrates the town’s industrial heritage. Although the historic mills are gone, the site’s evolution informs adaptive reuse and brownfield redevelopment approaches.

Background

Common District (Downtown Historic Core)

Roughly bounded by Lake Quannapowitt, Main, Common, Church, and Lake Avenue, the Common District includes the library, post office, and early commercial blocks. It’s a living catalog of masonry facades, parapet detailing, and early storefront systems.

District reference

Church–Lafayette Streets Historic District

This residential district south of the Common features 19th-century wood-frame houses with brackets, bay windows, and porches. It’s useful for pattern-book-accurate porch restoration, balustrade replication, and historic siding choices.

District reference

Lake Quannapowitt (Town Reservoir & Promenade)

Wakefield’s signature lake frames the town’s civic spaces and 19th-century estates. Shoreline walls, paths, and railings provide examples of durable lakeside hardscapes and accessible promenade details for public-realm projects.

Public-domain/CC imagery

House at 2 Nichols Street

A Shingle-Style residence (c.1890) with Tudor and Queen Anne motifs, this corner house displays fieldstone foundations, shingle cladding, and stained glass windows. It’s a reference for stone-to-wood transitions and shingle weathering patterns.

Historic registry entry