Charlestown Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Charlestown Bridge is the easternmost bridge on the Charles River
in Boston, Massachusetts. The bridge formerly carried the southernmost stretch of Massachusetts Route 99
, which now ends at Chelsea Street in Charlestown. It connects to Joe Tecce Way to the south and to Rutherford Avenue to the north. The bridge is also part of Boston's Freedom Trail
. It is also called the North Washington Street bridge.
The first bridge on this site was known as the Charles River Bridge, chartered in 1785 and opened on June 17, 1786. As a condition of chartering the bridge, a sum of £200 was paid annually to Harvard College to compensate for the lost ferry income. The bridge was privately built and operated, with tolls producing profits for the investors during the charter period, after the initial expense was paid off. In 1792, the West Boston Bridge was chartered, connecting West Boston to Cambridge. In compensation, the legislature extended the charter period of the Charles River Bridge by 30 years, but the unpopular double tolls on Sundays were eliminated. Traffic to the bridge was facilitated by the laying out of the Medford Turnpike
in 1803.
When the Warren Bridge
was chartered in 1828 in a location extremely close to the Charles River Bridge, the investors filed a lawsuit which eventually reached the United States Supreme Court as Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge
.
The current bridge was built in 1900 under chief engineer William Jackson
. It carried the Charlestown Elevated
until the railway was demolished and re-routed in 1975.
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
in Boston, Massachusetts. The bridge formerly carried the southernmost stretch of Massachusetts Route 99
Massachusetts Route 99
-Route description:Route 99 begins at the intersection of New Rutherford Avenue and Chelsea Street, over the northbound tunnel of U.S. Route 1 created during the Big Dig. It continues along New Rutherford Avenue, passing onramps to Route 1 and Bunker Hill Community College before entering Sullivan...
, which now ends at Chelsea Street in Charlestown. It connects to Joe Tecce Way to the south and to Rutherford Avenue to the north. The bridge is also part of Boston's Freedom Trail
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a red path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a...
. It is also called the North Washington Street bridge.
History
The first government-sanctioned ferry crossing of the Charles was chartered at this location in 1630. It was operated by various individuals until it was given to Harvard College in perpetuity in 1640, to support it financially.The first bridge on this site was known as the Charles River Bridge, chartered in 1785 and opened on June 17, 1786. As a condition of chartering the bridge, a sum of £200 was paid annually to Harvard College to compensate for the lost ferry income. The bridge was privately built and operated, with tolls producing profits for the investors during the charter period, after the initial expense was paid off. In 1792, the West Boston Bridge was chartered, connecting West Boston to Cambridge. In compensation, the legislature extended the charter period of the Charles River Bridge by 30 years, but the unpopular double tolls on Sundays were eliminated. Traffic to the bridge was facilitated by the laying out of the Medford Turnpike
Medford Turnpike
The Medford Turnpike is a road mostly in modern-day Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, now known as Mystic Avenue. It was laid out in 1803 as a result of the 1786 Charles River Bridge from Charlestown to Boston. In historic terms, it ran from Medford Center to Charlestown Neck. It is...
in 1803.
When the Warren Bridge
Warren Bridge
The Warren Bridge connected downtown Boston, Massachusetts with Charlestown from its construction in the 1820s until its demolition in 1962. It was replaced by the Charles River Dam in 1978....
was chartered in 1828 in a location extremely close to the Charles River Bridge, the investors filed a lawsuit which eventually reached the United States Supreme Court as Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge
Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge
Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge, 36 U.S. 420 , was a case regarding the Charles River Bridge and the Warren Bridge of Boston, Massachusetts, heard by the United States Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney...
.
The current bridge was built in 1900 under chief engineer William Jackson
William Jackson (engineer)
William Jackson was the Boston, Massachusetts city engineer from 1885 to 1910. He was responsible for a number of the major bridges in the city, including Harvard Bridge, Longfellow Bridge, and Charlestown Bridge....
. It carried the Charlestown Elevated
Charlestown Elevated
The Charlestown Elevated was a former link of Boston's Orange Line rapid transit line that ran from a portal at North Station, near the old Boston Garden, to the city of Everett, Massachusetts...
until the railway was demolished and re-routed in 1975.