Kenton/Greenwood Architectural Conservation District

On June 24th, 2025 the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) voted to accept the Petition for further study of the Kenton/Greenwood Architectural District. What is an Architectural Conservation District, or ACD? An ACD is a designation from the BLC for an area with significance at the local level. This is different from a Landmark District, which applies to areas with significance beyond a local level (either state, regional, or national). In areas of local significance, buildings reflect history important to Boston; this includes social and cultural trends specific to the city, important Bostonians or those who made an impact here, and distinctive or valuable design. ACDs are still evaluated by the same criteria used to designate an Individual Landmark, a Landmark District, or a Protection Area. These four criteria are: 

1. A property listed on the National Register of Historic Places
2. A resource at which events occurred that have made an outstanding contribution to, and are identified prominently with, or which best represent some important aspect of cultural, political, economic, military, or social history.
3. A resource associated significantly with the lives of outstanding historic personages.
4. A resource representative of elements of architectural or landscape design or craftsmanship that embody distinctive characteristics of a type inherently valuable for study of a period, style, or method of construction or development, or a notable work of an influential architect, landscape architect, designer, or builder.

While a proposed landmark or district only needs to significantly meet one of those criteria, the proposed Kenton/Greenwood Architectural District fits into a couple of these categories.

First, the Kenton/Greenwood district represents some of Boston’s major social and cultural history. This area is home to a collection of buildings that demonstrate the development patterns that contributed to the growth of Jamaica Plain and are a significant example of Boston’s ‘streetcar suburbs’. As Jamaica Plain shifted from a rural farming community to a more heavily settled suburb in the 1800s, multi-family residential investment properties became more popular in the area and new transportation allowed residents to live further away from their places of work, often in downtown Boston. These transport systems included horse-drawn trolleys that were introduced in the mid 19th century, followed by the eponymous electric streetcars. The neighborhoods that appeared around these transport routes supported the growth of a middle class commuter group. Surviving examples of these historic neighborhoods provide a snapshot of Boston in transition in the late 19th century and provide valuable insight to how the city has developed. 

The growing investment potential in Jamaica Plain caught the eye of a prominent Bostonian, Isaac Harris Cary. Born in the North End in 1803, Cary became a successful merchant before joining the real estate market with purchases of large land tracts in West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. He built an estate on Forest Hills Street, “Sunnyside”, where he settled his family. Records indicate that Cary owned and parceled up many of the plots within the Kenton/Greenwood district which became home to a diverse group of residents. He also lent his name to Cary Road, now Dungarven Road. 

Second, in addition to the cultural and social patterns we can learn about from this district, the contributing houses represent an impressive collection of 19th century architectural styles. Some of these styles include Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, and Colonial Revival and a quick walk around (either in person or on Google maps) helps to get a sense of how unique this neighborhood is. 

One example of distinct architectural style in the neighborhood is the house at 19 Kenton Road. A mid-19th century Italianate, this building displays characteristics of the style which evolved as the United States began looking to the past for romantic inspiration. Unlike earlier styles found in the United States, Italianate buildings often had asymmetrical elements and floorplans. Designs for these structures also became more popular through the use of pattern books, often produced by designers like Andrew Jackson Downing. 19 Kenton has several features that are characteristic of the Italianate style, including its small entry porch, decorative brackets that are prominent on the front facade of the house, and narrow arched windows with elaborate window crowns on the third floor. This house features a front-gabled roof which is a subtype of the style commonly found on narrow lots in cities. You can read more about the Italianate architectural style here and more about 19 Kenton Road in its Study Report. 

Taken together, the homes in this district create a distinct sense of place and their individual stories help to illustrate how Boston and its surrounding towns grew in the 19th century to accommodate commuters. According to an individual Study Report for 19 Kenton Road, the neighborhood has a largely intact historic streetscape. Because of how cohesive this group of houses is, each of the buildings proposed for inclusion contributes to the significance of the district and every effort should be made to preserve individual structures.