Upham’s Corner Comfort Station, Dorchester, MA (1912)

About This Project

The former rest station, a stucco 940-square-foot facility with full basement, underwent a $1.9 million historic rehabilitation with improvements that created Comfort Kitchen, a full-service café with dinner operations. Architects for the development were Utile, Inc. Architecture + Planning, and Supernormal. Contractor was MJ Mawn, Inc.

The Upham’s Corner Comfort Station served Boston’s streetcar system and is near the MBTA’s Fairmount commuter rail line, as well as being within the City of Boston’s Upham’s Corner Main Street District. The Comfort Station is a one-story stucco and tile “mission style” building built as a convenience station in 1912 to support the expanding streetcar system in Boston. It was designed by Dorchester architect William H. Besarick, who also designed the nearby municipal building at the corner of Columbia Road and Bird Street, as well as many triple-decker residences in the area.

The Comfort Station lies on what was once part of the Dorchester North Burying Ground, which is listed in the State and National Register of Historic Places and within the cemetery’s Boston Landmark designation.

The project benefitted from $883,000 in charitable support from many local donors, combined with capital from the tenant and low-interest permanent financing provided by the Architectural Heritage Foundation. Historic Boston Inc. also received $254,800 in proceeds from allocations of Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits provided by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

The 1912 Upham’s Corner Comfort Station’s rehabilitation was completed in December of 2022, and Comfort Kitchen, a daytime café and pop-up dinner experience opened in January of 2023, featuring local food entrepreneurs. Learn more about the Comfort Kitchen Team and the project at the Upham’s Corner Comfort Station here:

HBI Acquires Upham’s Corner Comfort Station
Historic Boston Inc. Starts Construction at the Upham’s Corner Comfort Station
Historic Boston engages restaurateur in Upham’s Comfort Station
Long Journey for a Little Building
In Case You Missed It; News About Comfort Kitchen