The Backside of America

It’s Really Big, Sometimes Beautiful and Always Worth a Second Look

Showing posts with label walking path. Show all posts

Saturday, March 9, 2024

I Finally Get Near the Middlesex Canal

From Dave Brigham:

"There are bits and pieces of it scattered throughout the area like the aqueduct in the Shawsheen River on the Wilmington/Billerica line. There's also a nice section in the woods behind the Wilmington Town Park on Main street running back to Butters Row."

For years, those two sentences sat under the heading "MIDDLESEX CANAL" in one of the handful of places I keep notes about places to explore for the blog. I can't remember when I first learned about the canal, which stretched 27 miles, from Lowell to Boston's Charlestown neighborhood and operated from 1803 to 1851.

I grew up near a long-abandoned stretch of the Farmington Canal, in Weatogue, Connecticut. Boats began using the canal, which connected New Haven to Northampton, Mass., in 1828. The canal was eventually replaced by railroads. I used to explore the abandoned part near my house, and occasionally played hockey along it in the winter.

So when I heard about the Middlesex Canal, I decided I wanted to find some part, any part, of it, to explore. According to the Middlesex Canal Association, "much of the Middlesex Canal is buried under roads and parking lots - even its southern end at Sullivan Square, formerly at the head of Prison Point Bay, is now close to a mile inland. Many traces of the old waterway remain only as dirt-filled paths through suburban backyards, and at the MDC's Sandy Beach Reservation in Winchester. Boston's Canal Street is where the route once extended from the Charles River to Boston Harbor."

I've bumped up against the canal a bit here and there over the years -- a stone marker in Somerville, mentions of it in historical acounts about Medford -- but it was only recently that I actually saw honest-to-God remnants of it in Woburn (make sure to check out my other recent Woburn posts: February 24, 2024, "Woo Woo! It's Woburn Time," and March 2, 2024, "Woburn's Lanna Thai Diner is Adorable").

I started my short walk at the intersection of School and Merrimac streets, just east of a CVS. Heading south, I followed the old canal towpath, which horses used to pull the canal boats; on my way back, I took the path running along an old rail bed. From MACRIS: "This section parallels the Boston & Maine Railroad Woburn Loop embankment, and was restored for horse-drawn canal boat rides in the late 1960s and is still watered year-round." I wish someone was still running those horse-drawn boat rides.

(Looking south - the rail bed is on the left, the towpath on the right.)

Near the northern end of the canal segment, I spied some quarried stones.

According to MACRIS, "This segment of the canal...includes a significant historic archaeological site, the Baldwin's Farm/Carter's Bridge Abutments (ca. 1803)....Located several hundred feet north of the Loammi Baldwin Mansion, this resource consists of partially-collapsed fieldstone abutments flanking the canal trench. Some stones show drill marks from blasting."

As for the Baldwin Mansion, it is located at the southern end of the canal segment, fronting Alfred Street.

Loammi Baldwin grew up in Woburn in the middle of the 18th century. A soldier in the Revolutionary War, he eventually turned to surveying and engineering (Wikipedia says he is considered the father of American civil engineering). In 1794, at age 50, he and his oldest sons began digging what would become the Middlesex Canal, which opened in 1803. The house shown above was built in 1661 by Henry Baldwin, Loammi's great-grandfather. Loammi enlarged the house in 1803.

From Wikipedia: "All told, six generations of Baldwins lived in the house....After leaving the family's ownership it became a boarding house, within which resided Baldwin family members until the 1930s." Eventually the place was converted to a restaurant. Today it is home to the Baldwin Bar, which is located within Sichuan Garden, a Chinese restaurant.

The canal was used to transport all types of goods. One of the products that made its way to Woburn was tree bark, which was used in the leather-tanning process, according to this article at the Middlesex Canal Association web site. "It changed life in Woburn," said Thomas Smith, one of that city's members on the Middlesex Canal Commission, in the article. "Having access to the bark made it possible for the leather industry to grow" in what had been a rural agricultural community.

There is another historic house located along the canal segment here. I didn't get a shot of it, but Google Street View has the goods.

This is what's known as the 1790 House, and, as you might expect of a 234-year-old house, it has an interesting history. The Federal style home was built for Woburn lawyer Joseph Bartlett, but Loammi Baldwin purchased the place before construction was completed. According to MACRIS, this was "one of several stately homes on Baldwin's 212 acres (sic) estate." The engineer used this place for entertaining, evidently, as MACRIS indicates Baldwin held a Centennial Ball here on January 1, 1880; a ball to celebrate the opening of the canal in 1803; and "many others" over the years.

MACRIS also indicates the house was allegedly part of the Underground Railroad for escaped slaves prior to the Civil War. The 1790 House was also used as a private school for boys in 1815, according to Wikipedia. As well, the North Congregational Church of Woburn used the house for Sunday school.

The house was originally closer to Main Street, but it was moved toward the canal to make room for a hotel. From 1981 to 2014, the 1790 House was owned by the Woburn Daily Times. It is currently being used for office space.

So, there you have my first official visit to part of the Middlesex Canal. I hope to explore others in the near future.

For other mentions of the Middlesex Canal on the blog, see:

November 4, 2023, "Cisterns Are Doing It for Themselves"

October 28, 2023, "Why Does Medford Square Have a Shipyard? And Other Questions"

April 8, 2023, "East Somerville, Part I: The Main Drag"

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Time to Talk About the Waltham Watch Factory

From Dave Brigham:

Waltham, Mass., is known as the Watch City, but prior to today, I'd only published a post (plus an update) about a spin-off company from the industrial titan that gave the city its nickname (see July 8, 2013, "What a Dump: A Different View"). As part of a series about Waltham's industrial past, this post will cover the former watch factory that many years ago was converted to apartments, offices and restaurant space. In the first post of this series, I wrote about the former Boston Manufacturing Co. complex along Moody Street (see May 8, 2021, "Former Mill Complex Now Apartments, Artist Space and Museum").

Located between the Charles River and Crescent and Prospect streets, the former Waltham Watch Company -- aka the American Waltham Watch Co. and American Watch Co. -- is a large, beautiful and impressive site.

The seeds of what became the Waltham Watch Co. were planted in 1830 when, at age 18, Aaron Lufkin Dennison, of Brunswick, Maine, began an apprenticeship to a local clockmaker, per Wikipedia. He next moved to Boston to work for a jeweler, before starting his own business in 1834 as a watch repairman. Two years later he ditched that operation and took a position with "Jones, Low & Ball [where] he worked...until 1839 under master watchmaker Tubal Howe. Here he learned the methods used by English and Swiss watchmakers," according to Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia:

"In 1849, Dennison was approached by Edward Howard, a clock and scale maker from Boston. Howard wanted Dennison to build locomotives but instead went into business with Dennison to make watches. Dennison began to make watch parts for the company in its...factory in 1849. A year later, the company moved to its own factory in Roxbury, Massachusetts.... The first prototype watch was completed in 1850. The company name was changed to Warren Manufacturing Company and released its first watch on the market in 1853. The company...became known as The Boston Watch Company starting in 1853."

(According to a fire hydrant enthusiast who commented on this picture on Instagram, this is a circa-1890 model made by Chapman Valve Manufacturing Company.)

The Boston Watch Co. moved to this site in 1854, after investors had purchased the land and some buildings (nothing from that era still stands). That year, the company produced five watches per day and employed 90 people, per Wikipedia, and was the first factory in the world to produce a pocket-ready watch in the same factory.

Again, from Wikipedia:

"The company 'failed' in 1857 and upon bankruptcy, it was sold at auction to Royal E. Robbins, who reorganized it under the new name Appleton Tracy & Company.... The company was sold back to [original owners] under a new name of The American Watch Company. In 1861, as the country entered the American Civil War, production stopped. [The company] began producing a low cost watch...which was a 'fad' with Union soldiers. They sold for $13 and by the end of the Civil War represented 45 percent of Waltham's sales. After the Civil War, the company became the main supplier of railroad chronometers to various railroads in North America and more than fifty other countries. In 1876, the company showed off the first automatic screw making machinery and obtained the first Gold Medal in a watch precision contest at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition."

Wikipedia, again:

"In 1885 the company name changed to the American Waltham Watch Company. In 1907 the company name changed to Waltham Watch Co., in 1923 briefly to the Waltham Watch and Clock Company and finally in 1925 to the Waltham Watch Company. The company closed its factory doors and declared bankruptcy in 1949, although the factory briefly reopened a few times, primarily to finish and case existing watch inventory for sale. Several different plans were presented to restart the business, but all failed for various reasons. In 1958, the company got out of the consumer watch business completely and reorganized into the Waltham Precision Instruments Company. All remaining watch inventory had been sold to the Hallmark Watch Company the previous year, and rights to the 'Waltham' trademark were sold to a new Waltham Watch Company incorporated in Delaware in exchange for stock."

Currently, there is a Swiss company making watches under the Waltham brand.

Let's get to the post-watch company part of the story. Again, I cede the floor to Wikipedia: "Following the demise of watch manufacturing, the complex was leased out in portions to light manufacturing industries. Panametrics, a manufacturer of precision equipment, occupied much of the premises until its acquisition in 2004 by General Electric. The complex has since then undergone an environmentally friendly conversion to mixed residential and commercial/industrial use."

That brings up to the complex known as the Waltham Watch Factory.

From the development's web site: "The...complex...consists of approximately 400,000 square feet of space in 22 interconnected buildings. The Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival style complex was constructed by the Waltham Watch Company over half a century starting in the 1860s. The Watch Factory is characterized by a series of narrow wings with regimented rows of windows designed to maximize daylighting for the detailed production of watches. Watch City Ventures LLC, an affiliate of Boston based developer Berkeley Investments, acquired the property in May 2007. Berkeley then oversaw the multiphase redevelopment process consisting of the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the complex into a vibrant mix of office, residential and retail uses with riverfront amenities."

The rear of the building opens out to a large parking lot, as well as a bike path and floating docks along the river. As you can see in the sign above, this area of the river was once home to the Charles River Carnival. Held from 1885 to 1899, and again in 1904, 1915 and 1930, the carnival took place between the Newton Boat Club, just past the factory, and the Moody Street Bridge about a half mile away (for more on the boat club, also known as Nutting-on-the-Charles, see January 27, 2012, "Smoke On the Water"). "During the event, the shores of the Charles River became animated with fires, Chinese lanterns, fireworks displays, illuminated houses and factory buildings...there were canoe races" and a "parade of highly decorated and themed boats," per the sign in the photo above.

The buildings have some nice design details throughout.

In the front of the buliding, there is a restaurant, Brelundi, which offers Italian cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner (bre-lun-di).

Keep your eyes peeled for the third and final installment in my series about Waltham's industrial past, in which I will feature the former Atlas Chemical Factory.

Saturday, April 10, 2021

I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 3)

From Dave Brigham:

I don't have anything flashy to kick off this final installment in my exploration of Newton Centre, so I'm giving you the artsy photo above. That's the doorway into 93 Union Street, which is part of the hulking Bray's Block, which dominates the southern end of the main retail area. In this post, I'll cover retailers, a former factory site, an aqueduct walking path and gatehouses, a squash/tennis club and much more. For links to the previous two Newton Centre posts, and all of the other Newton villages I've written about, see the bottom of this post.

Bray's Block (aka Bray's Hall) is located along Union Street, and was built in 1893 by Mellen Bray, who left a large footprint in Newton during his day, including the Bradford Court apartment building across the street. Upon its construction, this large, curved structure held a bowling alley, an indoor tennis court, a public meeting hall and retail space, according to a Historic Newton brochure. "This is an example of Classical Revival architecture and is especially noted for its many dormers, buff-colored masonry work, and copper clad roof."

There were "concerts, dances or lectures and fairs" on the upper floor, per MACRIS, "while the lower floor offered space for a bank, a grocery, a dry goods store, and a druggest (sic) among others."

Currently, there are numerous stores and restaurants on the ground floor, and office space in the upper floors. There are restaurants in the back of the building, too. Below is the rear of Bray's Block; the letters "P.S." are for Piccadilly Square, which is what this area (including the building across Union Street where Rosenfeld's Bagels is located), was dubbed back in the '70s by developer David Zussman.

Many years ago, I used to frequent the fantastic Mexican restaurant, Cafe Sol Azteca, which is at the rear of this building.

According to the Piccadilly Square web site, the restaurant's location was, prior to the 1970’s, a book binding operation with dirt floors.

In the back lot of Bray's Block is Union Street Restaurant, below.

Located in a stand-alone building behind Bray's Block, this is a great place to eat and drink, and catch live music upstairs. I've seen some cool bands and attended parties up there, and hope to do so again once the lockdown eases. This was where the original heating plant was for the buildings in this area, according to the Piccadilly Square web site.

Abutting Bray's Block is the Union Buildling, which dates to 1896.

Like Bray's Block, the Union Building was built as a combination commercial building and meeting hall. According to MACRIS, upon its completion, the building "contained space for 2 music teachers, a dentist and a photographic parlor." OK, then.

(Close-up of stores on ground floor of the Union Building.)

Just northeast of the Union Building is a one-story building of retail shops dates to 1917.

I love the alleys of Piccadilly Square. One leads to Sol Azteca and another restaurant, House of Tandoor, which serves Indian food. Another alley leads to a Russian eatery.

Cafe St. Petersburg has been in Newton Centre since 2005, after 12 years in its original home in neighboring Brookline. "Cafe St. Petersburg is frequented by artists, writers, musicians, actors, politicians from Russia and around the world. (Co-owner Natan) Slezinger is well-known in Boston community and is also a respected theatre producer in Russia," per the web site. The building dates to 1917. That seems appropriate for a Russian restaurant.

At the corner of Union Street and Langley Road stands Baramor, a gastropub that replaced Terry O'Reilly's, which is what was there when I shot the photo below.

The building dates to 1915.

A stone's throw away, along Beacon Street, is the former Murray's Liquors.

The building dates to 1927/1930, depending on the source. The storefront has been vacant for a few years now. I hope something moves in soon.

Moving west on Beacon Street, we come to the Stuart Building on the corner of Centre Street.

The building dates to 1928, and is currently home to Starbucks, Sandwich Works, a UPS Store, a Coldwell Banker realty outlet and many other businesses.

(Nice remnant from the olden times.)

Heading north from the Stuart Building along Centre Street there are several stores and restaurants in one-story buildings. At the corner of Centre and Pelham streets is Mosher's Men's Store, one of three clothing retailers along this row, including one with a Hollywood connection.

The Mosher's building and others along here date to the 1920s. The men's clothier has been in business since 1921.

(One of many menswear company plaques located on the side of Mosher's.)

Directly across Pelham Street from Mosher's is Alan Bilzerian, which sells both men's and women's clothing, as well as home decor. The company was founded in 1967 in Worcester; today it operates a store in Boston in addition to the Newton one. Next to Bilzerian is Mr. Sid, pictured below.

Established in 1967, Mr. Sid was founded by the grandfather of actor Jason Segel ("Freaks and Geeks," "How I Met Your Mother," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"). It is still run by his family. The building is known historically as the Garb Drug building.

(Plaque outside Mr. Sid.)

Over on Sumner Street, across from Icon Hair Salon and the post office annex, stands a one-story retail building known as Centre Block.

The building dates to either 1926 (MACRIS) or 1920 (Newton assessor).

I've got two more retail sites I want to cover, and then I'll move along.

This is 552-560 Commonwealth Avenue, which dates to 1917. It is currently home to Atelier 564, an art gallery and framing store; pet grooming business Doggone-It!; a dentist's office and other businesses.

Across Commonwealth Avenue is the building below.

Built in 1916, this building is home to Blacker's Bakeshop, which opened in 2008; Inna's Kitchen, which opened in 2011 and provides catering and to-go meal services; and Mediterranean Grill.

Across Chestnut Terrace from the Atelier 564 building is the Newton Squash and Tennis Club.

Founded in 1902 as the Newton Centre Squash Tennis Club, it is located on property that had been part of the Augustus Hovey Estate (I have no idea who that is.). The original clubhouse has been expanded over the years, as has the number of courts. From the club's web page: "In 1905 the first game [of] Squash Racquets ever played in New England took place at the Newton Centre Squash Tennis Club. Mr. Austin Porter of Wellesley who brought the game from Philadelphia played with Mr. E. Ray Speare of Newton Centre. The game was immediately popular and in a short time had replaced the older game of Squash Tennis."

Newton Centre was never home to large-scale mills or factories, as was Nonantum. Along the eastern fringe of the village, however, there is a former mill site.

Located on Glen Avenue, this building dates to 1985 and is home to Health Equity International and perhaps other companies. A hundred years ago, though, there was something known as Burnham's mill on this site. Internet clues are scarce, but I found in a 1929 Atlas map of Newton a large building on this site, as well as several small ones, including one with what appears to be a smokestack. Charles Burnham is listed as the property owner; I found mention of Burnham's mill at this location in The Newton Graphic of February 1928. I'm not sure when the mill was built or when the business went under.

On the OpenCorporates web site, I found mention of the Old Colony Knitting Mill at this address. The company was in business from 1931 to 1990, per the web site. During at least part of that time, the building was home to Greenfield's Sweaterville, a clothing retailer, from what I've learned via The Newton Graphic of November 1973. The OpenCorporates listing indicates that "Sweaterville USA" was a trademark of the knitting mill.

I'm going to wrap up my Newton Centre series talking about aqueducts and gatehouses.

There are two old aqueducts running underneath the feet of Newton residents: the Cochituate and the Sudbury. The former brought water to Boston from 1848 to 1951, connecting Lake Cochituate in Natick to the Brookline Reservoir along Boylston Street, per Wikipedia. The latter was constructed between 1875-78, running from Framingham's Farm Pond to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Newton/Brighton. It was taken out of service in the late '70s and is used as part of a backup system by the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, per Wikipedia.

There are sections of the old aqueducts that are walkable, featuring not only well-worn paths where you are surrounded by trees, birds, other animals and fellow humans, but also old gatehouses.

This Cochituate Aqueduct gatehouse is located steps away from the Mason-Rice School, as the trail courses through a wooded area behind houses on Chapin Road, on toward the Newton Centre Playground. The aqueduct eventually enters a tunnel at Waban Hill Reservoir.

Just west of the gatehouse, in woodland between Park Lane and Hancock Avenue, you'll come across one of the more whimsical spots in Newton: Jolly's Hollow.

Located on private property between the two aqueducts that prior owners had fenced off from path walkers, Jolly's Hollow is the creation of one Andree Desiree Wilson. "Andrée was the legendary 'gardener (from the sign above) who, during the 50 years she lived there, created this special place. Beginning in the 1990s, as Newton was becoming ever more subdivided, she and (husband) Richard began the extraordinary and arduous process that would eventually donate the Wilson Conservation Area to the city and put all but 0.4 acres of their remaining 1.9-acre parcel under a conservation restriction that protects this legacy in perpetuity," according to this article in the Newton Conservators newsletter. "One important condition of conservation land is that there be public access. Andrée passed away in 2016, and the property will eventually be sold. Now, in a joint effort by the Newton Conservators and the Wilson family, an official path has been created that runs up along the pine-covered hill."

I have walked this path only twice, but feel like I need to back out there to see how it looks with spring upon us.

A short walk from the Cochituate Aqueduct gatehouse pictured above is the Sudbury Aqueduct gatehouse shown below.

Located on Tyler Terrace, abutting the Mason-Rice School, the gatehouse is, like so many of its kind, a beautiful piece of architecture where one isn't necessarily called for. I'm not sure when it was built, but I suppose it was in the 1870s or 1880s.