The Wachusett Dam & Reservoir
Before There Was A Dam©
How they built it and what became of the people who lived there
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West Boylston Old Town
West Boylston 1891 OH Bailey
Before the coming of the Wachusett Reservoir West Boylston was a thriving industrial town with a large number of water-powered mills situated along the banks of the Nashua River supported by hundreds of workers’ homes and businesses.
The Reservoir project would claim over 350 homes and businesses in the town and displace half of its population.
All that remains to gain an understanding of the appearance of the town and its relationship to the modern landscape is a jumbled pile of contemporary photos and a few engineering drawings.
This series will attempt to show the whole town, one section at a time, as it was then.
In Part I Central Village the town center, with its schools, town hall, churches and even a factory village is examined. Readily identified today by local people and travelers from far and wide is its last remaining building…the Old Stone Church.
Studies of other areas of the town are continually under development and will be presented as they become available.
Thanks,
Paul
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Most Popular Articles
Clinton Catholic Cemetery – The largest of the cemeteries which had to moved because of the rising waters, its colorful story is retold here.
One Man, One Shovel – rarely had so much dirt been moved by hand, a task completed with the most basic of tools…the shovel.
Get a Horse! – The horse had been around for centuries but was far from obsolete. Here is the story of the horse and its contribution to the Wachusett Dam & Reservoir.
Diversity at the Dam – Strong men came from all over to the huge project where there was opportunity for all who were willing to work hard for a good wage.
Coach & Sandy – the area around the submerged/buried ponds, South Main Street and South Meadow Road cutoffs
The Wachusett Aqueduct delivered water, by tunnel and open stream, to the Sudbury Reservoir in Framingham 12 miles away. Since replaced, it still functions as a backup water supply.
Scar Bridge – This bridge once carried Scar Hill Road traffic across the Nashua River in Boylston but today remains submerged in place
Channel Velocity Control – it was imperative to slow the water down in the spillway before it could erode the banks of the millpond and, perhaps, topple the railroad bridge.
The Villages at West Boylston – Four separate villages surrounding the Old Church were submerged. Here is their story. Presented by students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
See for Yourself!
Source Documents for this site – 8,000+ Images
Explore the wide array of contemporary photographs, available in the public domain, that were used for the articles presented here.
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email: paul@pmarrone.com