Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
National Register of Historic Places

Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
January 5, 2005
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
04001429

About this property

Fresh Pond Parkway is a historic park and parkway on the western end of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. The parkway was built in 1899 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Fresh Pond Parkway is a four-lane road (two lanes in each direction) stretching from Mount Auburn Street on its southern end to a rotary at Concord Avenue (formerly Cambridge and Concord Turnpike) and Alewife Brook Parkway to the north. Much of the parkway acts as the eastern boundary for portions of the city's municipal Fresh Pond reservoir area and connects the reservoir to the Charles River Reservation. The parkway is part of Massachusetts Route 2 (Route 2) and U.S. Route 3 (US 3) for its entire length. The portion north of Huron Avenue is also part of Route 16.

Location

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.38091, -71.14245

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTENGINEERINGLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURETRANSPORTATION
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston

This page lists Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Fresh Pond Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wyeth-Smith House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Larches, The
Industrial
0.3 mi
Lowell, The
Industrial
0.3 mi
Conventual Church of St. Mary and St. John
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
1.7 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
2.4 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
2.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston listed on the National Register?

Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 5, 2005.

What type of historic resource is Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston?

Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston?

The period of significance for Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1899.

Can I research the history near Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Middlesex County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Middlesex County.

Explore MiddlesexCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Fresh Pond Parkway-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report