National Register of Historic Places

Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District

Bedford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 22, 2010
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
10000790

About this property

The Two Brothers Rocks–Dudley Road Historic District encompasses a historically significant rural area of Bedford and Billerica, Massachusetts. The district covers 230 acres (93 ha) of predominantly rural and residential property, along Dudley Road, a narrow, winding road that was laid out in colonial days. It also includes a significant amount of conservation land, including local, state, and federal lands. The federal lands of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge which line the banks of the Concord River, include the "Two Brothers Rocks", which were used to mark a land boundary between grants given to early Massachusetts Bay Colony governors John Winthrop and Thomas Dudley, and which featured as boundary markers into the 20th century. The two large rocks were inscribed with the year 1638 and the names Dudley and Winthrop by a descendant of Dudley's named Dudley Leavitt Pickman, as noted in the Bedford Town Report in 1889. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The Two Brothers Rocks are accessible either via watercraft on the Concord River, or by trails through Bedford's Altmann Conservation Area.

Location

Bedford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.52456, -71.30018

Categories

ARCHITECTUREEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTINDUSTRYAGRICULTURERELIGIONENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONSOCIAL HISTORY
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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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
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Farley-Hutchinson-Kimball House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Hill, Deacon Samuel, House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Lane, Job, House
Industrial
1.2 mi
Lane, David, House
Industrial
1.7 mi
Jaquith, Abraham, House
Industrial
1.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Hardy's Hill (Concord Retreat)
1775Revolutionary War
4.3 mi
Battle of Lexington and Concord — North Bridge
1775Revolutionary War
4.4 mi
Battle of Lexington – North Bridge Skirmish Follow-up
1775Revolutionary War
4.4 mi
Battle of Concord
1775Revolutionary War
4.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District listed on the National Register?

Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 2010.

What type of historic resource is Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District?

Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District?

The period of significance for Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Two Brothers Rocks-Dudley Road Historic District?

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