Railway Crescent

In most towns that had a major railway station the Railways Department purchased land nearby and built houses to accommodate its workers. In Masterton this was done in a piece of land between Lincoln Road and the Waipoua River. The houses, many of which look remarkably similar, were known collectively as “the railway settlement”.

Those living in the area thought, not unnaturally, that the name reflected badly on them, and they petitioned the Masterton Borough Council to change the name in 1949. The Council agreed, and the street is now Railway Crescent.

Pic: Railway Crescent houses were built to a standard pattern.