Needham Center is a commuter rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Needham Line, located just north of Great Plains Avenue (MA-135) in downtown Needham, Massachusetts. The first station at Needham opened in 1853; it burned in 1887 and was replaced with a stone station, some of which is still in place. The station is fully handicapped accessible.HistoryGreat PlainOn June 1, 1853, the Charles River Branch Railroad was extended from Newton Upper Falls into Needham as the first stage of a line to Dover and beyond. The railroad was not able to follow its original plan to go through the East Village, Needham's historical center, because one landowner refused to sell; instead, it was routed to Great Plain station in Great Plain Village further to the east. Great Plain served as the terminus of the railroad until it was extended to Medway in 1861 and to Woonsocket in 1863.NeedhamWith the coming of the railroad, Great Plain Village eclipsed East Village as the primary business district of Needham, and it officially became the town center in 1879. The station's name was gradually changed to Needham Plain, then Needham.By the 1880s, the line was part of the New York and New England Railroad. The original gable-roofed wooden station burned in 1887 and was replaced with a stone station with a turreted roof. Most of the building was destroyed in the mid 20th century, but one corner remains and is part of a restaurant.
