Woodland (Boston and Albany station)

Woodland Station is one of two surviving railroad stations in the Boston area designed by American architect Henry Hobson Richardson[1]. Although he designed numerous stations along the Worcester line (later the Boston & Albany line and today the MBTA's Green Line "D" Branch), most of the others have been torn down either due to neglect, fire, or construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike. Like a number of Richardson's later works, this railroad station, finished in 1886, was completed after Richardson's death.

Located in the village of Auburndale in Newton, Massachusetts, the old Woodland Station is about 150 yards west of the current Woodland (MBTA station). The station sits on the Woodland golf course and is used as a supply shed. Although the building is part of the Newton Railroad Stations Historic District, it has fallen into disrepair and is in need of extensive renovations and possibly transport to a tourist accessible location. In fact, photographs from as early as 1959 show the station boarded up and abandoned[1]. Although the golf course is private property and members-only, the station is easily visible by riding the 'D' line one stop past Woodland to Riverside.

Newton's historic railroad district also contains two Richardsonian stations built after his death by his draftsmen, Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. These stations are also along the 'D' line at Newton Center and Newton Highlands. The lower portion of these stations act as outdoor stations while the upper, street-face portions are can be rented out. The Newton Highlands station, used as an auto parts shop for years, is being renovated and is partially occupied by the office of periodontist Leonard H. Strauss, D.M.D., P.C.[2] The Newton Center Station housed a Starbucks, which closed in 2008,[3]) and is being renovated for occupancy by the Deluxe Station Diner, a satellite restaurant of the Deluxe Town Diner in Coolidge Square, Watertown, Massachusetts.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, H.H. Richardson: Complete Architectural Works, MIT Press, Cambridge MA 1984
  2. ^ http://www.straussdmd.com/
  3. ^ ^ "Coffee Crisis? Starbucks Closing 600 Stores". ABC News (2008-07-01). Retrieved on 2008-07-18.
  4. ^ http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/newton/2010/05/deluxe_diner_in_newton_centre.html

[1]Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, H.H. Richardson: Complete Architectural Works, MIT Press, Cambridge MA 1984