National Register of Historic Places

Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal

Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 6, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
76000279

About this property

The Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal is a historic house in Watertown, Massachusetts. During the American Civil War, a new commander's quarters was commissioned by then-Capt. Thomas J. Rodman, inventor of the Rodman gun, for the Watertown Arsenal. The lavish, 12,700 sq ft (1,180 m2), quarters would ultimately become one of the largest commander's quarters on any U.S. military installation. The expense ($63,478.65) was considered wasteful and excessive and drew a stern rebuke from Congress, who then promoted Rodman to Brigadier General and sent him to command Rock Island Arsenal on the frontier in Illinois, where he built an even larger commander's quarters. The Watertown commander's quarters house now houses offices and a museum about the arsenal. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and included in the Watertown Arsenal Historic District in 1999.

Location

443 Arsenal St.
Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.36044, -71.16336

Categories

MILITARYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Watertown Arsenal Historic District
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Simpson House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Watertown High School, Old
Industrial
0.7 mi
Oak Square School
Industrial
0.8 mi
Town Diner
Industrial
0.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
2.9 mi
Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
3.8 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
3.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal listed on the National Register?

Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 6, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal?

Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal?

The period of significance for Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal is recorded as the early_republic era.

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