Wachusett Dam Kiosk Poster

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Wachusett Dam DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION DIVISION OF WATER SUPPLY PROTECTION Hold the Water The south branch of the Nashua River was dammed to create the Wachusett Reservoir, the largest in the world at the time. Excavation for the Wachusett Dam began in October of 1900, and construction continued for five years. Cableway with viaduct construction in background, 1903. Hand labor was aided by two wheel, one-horse World’s Largest carts to move material brought in by a cable system The Wachusett Dam maintains the suspended across the valley from movable towers honor of being the largest hand built mounted on tracks. gravity dam in the world. Constructed of granite masonry, the dam stretches 944’ across. First stone laid: 1901 Last stone laid: 1905 Elevation: 415’ above sea level Height of dam: 115’ above ground 112’ below ground Length of spillway: 452’, excess water discharges to Nashua River Maximum thickness: 185’ at bottom, 22.5’ at top Height to top of dam above full reservoir level: 20’ Photo Below: Workers lived in East flight of stairs: 187 steps “commissaries” or encampments, West flight of stairs: 177 steps comprised of sod huts for sleeping and crude wooden dining halls. Stone by Stone Laborers worked year-round, primarily with hand tools, to build the dam. Earth work preparing the upper edges of the reservoir floor continued for about two years after Photo Above: News of this engineering feat was completion of the dam. heard worldwide. The Panama Canal Commission, looking for advice on their construction project, toured the completed dam site on Sept. 27, 1905. Photo Below: Wachusett Dam, from the northeast, with viaduct and highway bridge, Jun. 1, 1905. Over six miles of existing railroad was re-routed to 4.5 miles of new track, including a new 1,100 foot rock tunnel adjacent to a 917 foot long steel viaduct. This viaduct would carry trains 133 feet in the air across the Nashua River next to the new dam. The viaduct is now gone, but the supporting stonework can still be seen today below in the river. The Massachusetts Metropolitan Water Works (MWW) Photograph Collection documents the construction of the Boston Metropolitan Water Supply. www.digitalcommonwealth.org .

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PM the Massachusetts Historical Commission
Inventory No: SBR.912 Historic Name: Weston Aqueduct Section 1 Bridge Common Name: MDC Access Road Bridge over Sudbury Reservoir Address: Weston Aqueduct City/Town: Southborough Village/Neighborhood: Fayville Local No: 7-6 Year Constructed: Architect(s): Gill, T. H. and Company Architectural Style(s): Arch Filled Spandrel; Arch Barrel Dressed Voussoir Use(s): Other Engineering; Other Transportation; Utilities Other Significance: Engineering; Transportation SBR.F: Sudbury Dam Historic District Area(s): sbr.i: Water Supply System of Metropolitan Boston Nat'l Register District (1/18/1990); Nat'l Register TRA Designation(s): (1/18/1990) Building Materials(s): The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has converted this paper record to digital format as part of ongoing projects to scan records of the Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth and National Register of Historic Places nominations for Massachusetts. Efforts are ongoing and not all inventory or National Register records related to this resource may be available in digital format at this time. The MACRIS database and scanned files are highly dynamic; new information is added daily and both database records and related scanned files may be updated as new information is incorporated into MHC files. Users should note that there may be a considerable lag time between the receipt of new or updated records by MHC and the appearance of related information in MACRIS. Users should also note that not all source materials for the MACRIS database are made available as scanned images. Users may consult the records, files and maps available in MHC's public research area at its offices at the State Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, open M-F, 9-5.
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