The post-Civil War years were a boom time in Melrose. Houses were going up everywhere, and among the most desirable were those that were a quick walk to the Melrose Depot. John S. Austin, an agent for a coal distributor whose job required him to travel extensively, no doubt chose to buy 40 Vine Street in 1868 in part for its easy access to the train.
After about ten years, he decided it was time for a career change and a shorter commute, so he and his son Charles bought the parcel just across the street on the corner of Essex Street, and turned it into a livery stable. The ad for their stables that you see here offered “Boarding and Baiting,” meaning that they rented stable space for privately owned horses, and also rented out horses to those who could not afford to buy one.
The Austins lived here until 1951. Since then, only two other families have lived in the house, until a developer bought the property in December 2017 with plans to demo the structure and build an eight-unit complex in its place. This case is currently pending before the Planning Board, and you can read the details here:
Development has overtaken this corner of Melrose recently, and it is by design. In 2014 the city instituted a “Rail Corridor Overlay District” which created zoning variances designed to transform this neighborhood, and the probable demolition of 40 Vine Street is one consequence of that strategy. The easy access to transit that created this historic neighborhood in the 1860s is the very factor that has made it a hotbed of demolitions over the past ten years.
The demolitions could stop if the people of the neighborhood voted to become a Local Historic District. If you have concerns that your neighborhood will fall to the wrecking ball, please contact us, and we can explain the process of becoming an LHD to you.
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