The historic Newton Highlands Station Depot has been offered for sale by the MBTA.
For Sale: a 120-year-old railroad depot overlooking the Green Line, needs TLC but could be the latest trendy restaurant, stylish office or upscale shop. Minimum Bid: $425,000.
As a snowstorm swirled around the city last week, a dozen potential buyers equipped with flashlights, notebooks and cameras kicked the tires of the MBTA’s Newton Highlands train station. The T has been trying to sell the historic property on Station Street since Newton Highlands Auto Parts closed its doors at the location two years ago.
Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in 1887, the 3,000-square-foot granite and limestone depot offers a glimpse into New England’s past. Much of the original detail remains including beaded oak paneling on the walls and ceiling, a hand-operated dumbwaiter and an overhanging slate roof.
“At the second half of the 19th century, Richardson was considered the foremost architect in the [United States],” said Andrew Garvin, an architect and Newton resident who is considering making a bid on the property. “These depots were no ordinary buildings. Railroad stations were a big deal in an age when there were no automobiles.”
Mark Boyle, the T’s real estate director, said the transit agency received a pair of bids for the property last year. But both proposals collapsed at the last minute, he said. A Dorchester dentist was the high bidder at $810,000; he had hoped to have his office in the unique setting where 1,260 commuters board the trains daily.
“We suspect he couldn’t get financing and may have overbid because the minimum offer was $500,000,” said Boyle. “The other bidder, Condyne Real Estate Development, planned a combination of retail and office but [was] unable to go forward. It was frustrating.”
Jeffrey C. O’Neill, Condyne’s president, did not return calls seeking comment.
Since then, the real estate market has slowed and the T lowered the minimum bid by $75,000. A deposit of $8,500 is required. Bids are due by Monday, March 5, at 1 p.m.
‘An Outstanding Building’
Newton Highlands is a surface-level rapid transit station located on the Green Line’s D Branch that has been operating for nearly 40 years. The historic building could be converted into shops or offices. Under the terms of the bid, the T will retain the right to use a small office on the lower level and the buyer will be required to renovate and maintain the space.
The Newton Highlands, Newton Center and Woodland stations are three remaining depots of the 12 designed by Richardson for the Boston and Albany Railroad. They were created as “monuments to the wealth and prestige of the railroad and the men who owned it,” according to documents at the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Newton Highlands Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. As a result, the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Newton Historical Commission would have to approve any exterior work or signs on the buildings, according to bid documents. The T did not know how much the renovation would cost but it could easily exceed $500,000.
A station was first built at the location when the Charles River Railroad was extended through Newton in 1852. The single-track railroad was used to carry soil and gravel from Needham to the Back Bay during the late 1800s.
By the end of the century, the Boston and Albany Railroad provided regular passenger service using steam locomotives on a route that ran from Boston’s South Station, along the Green Line to Riverside, then around the loop in Auburndale, connecting to the Worcester-Framingham commuter line and back to South Station. The railbed was upgraded in the 1870s. Freight service along the branch ceased in 1958 in preparation for the opening of electrified trolley service in 1959.
Richardson was best known for his creation of Trinity Church in Copley Square. He entered the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1860, but dropped out as his family’s finances deteriorated during the U.S. Civil War. He returned to the U.S. in 1865. Critics say the architect developed a powerful personal style, reminiscent of the Romanesque style popular in southern France. Most of his larger buildings were constructed with strong, clear and simple masonry forms.
“It’s an outstanding building,” said John Rice, director of the nearby Hyde Community Center, a community-based organization. “It’s protected as a historical property so it can’t be razed or have major changes and it deserves a use that’s compatible with commuters and the neighborhood.”
While neighbors have not decided on the best use for the building, they hope it will include service-oriented businesses such as a restaurant or a dry cleaner – something that neighbors could walk to because parking is limited, Rice said.
“We know that Newton Highlands is overloaded with coffee shops, hair and nail salons, and banks,” said Rice. “So we would like to see a new owner with imagination. It’s a great location with lots of foot traffic.”
Michael Kruse, the city’s planning director, said officials have not devised a plan to determine what kind of use should be at the depot. He noted that there is some confusion over the zoning. Some records indicate that it is zoned for public use. Other documents suggest it is rezoned for business.
“We have told the T that we don’t so much care about the use,” said Kruse. “We do care about having the new owner take care of that building and bring it back to the condition it should be.”
