[1] The town of Stoneham is located north of the city of Boston, and is now predominantly a commuter suburb.

In the mid-19th century the town developed as a major center of shoemaking in the area, and was served by the Boston and Lowell Railroad and the turnpike heading north to Andover.

[3] The southern end of the district is anchored by the Hill factory building and the 1904 Stoneham Public Library, just across Main Street.

Just north of the square stand other municipal buildings, including the 1918 Central Firestation, and town hall, built in 1939 on the east side of Center Street.

North of these buildings are a cluster of churches, marking the northern edge of the district at Common Street.