Highlands Historic District (Fall River, Massachusetts)

The Highlands Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by June, Cherry, and Weetamoe Streets, Lincoln, Highland, President, North Main, and Hood Avenues in Fall River, Massachusetts. The district lies just north of the Lower Highlands Historic District.

The Highlands Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It encompasses over and contains over 300 structures.

History

The area known today as the "highlands" in Fall River was originally known as the Rodman Farm. The area is located along a high ridge with views of the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay. After the original downtown area of the city suffered a devastating fire in 1843, the wealthy mill owners and their families gradually sought to distance themselves from the central business district.

The Highlands Historic District contains a wide variety of mostly residential homes largely built between 1840 and 1925. Just one home, the Church-Tory house (c.1750) at 96 French Street predates the major development of the area.

The district also includes North Park, designed by the Olmsted Brothers in the mid-1880s.

Contributing properties (partial listing)

Residential

Charles Shove House (c.1850) 715 High Street, Italianate

Church-Tory House (c.1750), 96 French Street, Colonial

Jefferson Borden House (c.1840), 386 High Street, Greek Revival

Remington-Borden House (c.1858), 511 Rock Street, Carpenter Gothic

Edmund Chase House (c.1874), 388 Rock Street, Second Empire

Philip Borden House (c.1884), 669 Rock Street, Queen Anne

Simeon Borden House (1876), 484 Highland Street, Ruskinian Gothic

Charles Buffington House (1882), 216 Prospect Street, Queen Anne

Maplecroft (Allen-Borden House) (1889), 306 French Street, Queen Anne

Michael T. Hudner House (1900), 674 Highland Avenue

Educational/public

Westall School (1907), 276 Maple Street

Fall River Technical School (1929), 290 Rock Street

Quequechan Firehouse (1873), 330 Prospect Street

Anawan No. 6 Firehouse (1873), North Main Street

Religious

First Congregational Church (1913), 282 Rock Street

United Presbyterian Church (1924), 414 Rock Street

Temple Beth-El (1928), 385 High Street

Properties with separate NRHP listings

B.M.C Durfee High School (1886), 289 Rock Street, added in 1981

Osborn House (1843), 456 Rock Street, added in 1980

See also

Lower Highlands Historic District

National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts

History of Fall River, Massachusetts

References

External links

Gallery of Homes in the Highlands

photo of Rock Street in winter, from Asergeev.com

Historic districts in Bristol County, Massachusetts

Fall River, Massachusetts

National Register of Historic Places in Fall River, Massachusetts

Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts