Watertown Square

Watertown Square
Neighborhood and road intersection
Looking southwest across the square from the corner of Mount Auburn Street and North Beacon Street (2019)
Looking southwest across the square from the corner of Mount Auburn Street and North Beacon Street (2019)
Map
Location in Watertown, Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°21′55″N 71°11′04″W / 42.3652°N 71.1844°W / 42.3652; -71.1844
StateMassachusetts
CountyMiddlesex
CityWatertown

Watertown Square is a neighborhood in Watertown, Massachusetts,[1] centered on the intersection of Main Street[2] and North Beacon Street (both part of U.S. Route 20) and Galen Street and Mount Auburn Street (both part of State Route 16).

The square stands immediately to the north of the Charles River,[3] which is crossed by the Watertown Bridge on Galen Street. The Armenian Library and Museum of America is located in the square; Watertown Dam is 1,000 feet (300 m) to the west.

MBTA bus routes 59 and 71 terminate in a busway on the west side of the square, while route 70 stops on the north side.

History

Postcard of Watertown station

The Watertown Branch Railroad opened through Watertown Square in 1847. Passenger service on the line ended on July 9, 1938, and the second track was removed by early 1940.[4] The middle section of the line from the Waltham/Watertown line through Watertown Square to East Watertown was abandoned in 1960. The former Watertown station was reused as a lumber company by 1968, but later demolished.[5]

In September 2023, a new plan for the square was announced by the City of Watertown.[6] The city plans to reconfigure the square to add public space and support future housing development. Charles River Road and Riverside Street would be rerouted to the east, creating a standard four-way intersection between Main/North Beacon and Galen/Mount Auburn. MBTA routes 59 and 71 would be extended to Watertown Yard, with the Columbus Delta park expanded onto the former busway area.[7]

References

  1. ^ Marcus, Cara (2018). Watertown Square Through Time. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63500-063-4.
  2. ^ "Watertown Square from the Delta". www.digitalcommonwealth.org. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  3. ^ Marchione, William P. (2004-04-01). The Charles: A River Transformed. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-3539-5.
  4. ^ Humphrey, Thomas J.; Clark, Norton D. (1986). Boston's Commuter Rail: Second Section. Boston Street Railway Association. p. 52. ISBN 9780938315025.
  5. ^ O'Connell, Richard W. (August 18, 1968). "Old railroad depots take on new careers". Boston Globe. p. A-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Watertown Square Area Plan". Watertown Square Area Plan. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  7. ^ "Watertown Square Area Plan Project Update" (PDF). City of Watertown. April 4, 2024. pp. 88–97.

Media related to Watertown Square at Wikimedia Commons