Echo Bridge
Encyclopedia
Echo Bridge was built to carry the Sudbury Aqueduct over the Charles River
from Newton Upper Falls
to Needham
, Massachusetts
. The aqueduct was constructed to carry water from the Sudbury River
to Boston. Construction of Echo Bridge began in 1875 and was completed in 1877 by Boston Water Works (BWW), predecessor to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
. At the time, it was the second longest masonry arch in the country. The bridge was named an American Water Landmark
in 1981. On April 9, 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. The bridge is located in the Hemlock Gorge Reservation
.
The aqueduct is no longer used for regular water delivery, but is maintained as a reserve backup.
The bridge crosses over Hemlock Gorge where the Charles River passes over the fall line
in Newton Upper Falls. There are still old mill buildings in view from the bridge, but most of the gorge remains naturally overgrown with hemlocks
. The bridge has two viewing locations, the pedestrian walk on top of the bridge and a platform underneath where visitors can hear the eponym
ous echoes
. Views include white water, a waterfall
and the hemlock-lined gorge. The 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) Hemlock Gorge Reservation
including the gorge is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The bridge is located just off Route 9 where it crosses Route 128. Despite being in the midst of a tangle of highways (a major interchange of the Massachusetts Turnpike
is also nearby), the river itself is tree-lined and natural.
Echo Bridge underwent extensive renovations in 2006 and was closed to the public for much of the year; it has been reopened.
The aqueduct was reactivated during a state of emergency declared on May 1, 2010. The line was used to carry clean water to parts of 38 communities affected by a catastrophic failure elsewhere in the MWRA system.
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...
from Newton Upper Falls
Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts
Newton Upper Falls is a village situated on the east bank of the Charles River in the city of Newton, Massachusetts, in the United States.The area borders Needham, Massachusetts to the south/southwest, Wellesley, Massachusetts to the west, the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston to the extreme...
to Needham
Needham, Massachusetts
Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 28,886 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The aqueduct was constructed to carry water from the Sudbury River
Sudbury River
The Sudbury River is a tributary of the Concord River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States.Originating in the Cedar Swamp in Westborough, Massachusetts, near the boundary with Hopkinton, it meanders generally northeast to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock in...
to Boston. Construction of Echo Bridge began in 1875 and was completed in 1877 by Boston Water Works (BWW), predecessor to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is a public authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides wholesale drinking water and sewage services to certain municipalities and industrial users in the state, primarily in the Boston area.The authority receives water from the Quabbin...
. At the time, it was the second longest masonry arch in the country. The bridge was named an American Water Landmark
American Water Landmark
An American Water Landmark is a landmark within the United States or Canada that is a historic location and is associated in some way with water...
in 1981. On April 9, 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The bridge is located in the Hemlock Gorge Reservation
Hemlock Gorge Reservation
Hemlock Gorge Reservation is a Massachusetts state park located in Newton and Needham. The park is managed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation .-Description:...
.
The aqueduct is no longer used for regular water delivery, but is maintained as a reserve backup.
National Register listing
- Echo Bridge
- (added 1980 – Structure – #80000638)
- Spans Charles River, Newton
- Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
- Architect, builder, or engineer: Phelps, George W.
- Architectural Style: No Style Listed
- Area of Significance: Architecture, Conservation, Engineering, Community Planning And Development
- Period of Significance: 1875–1899
- Owner: State
- Historic Function: Transportation
- Historic Sub-function: Water-Related
- Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use, Historical/Recreational
Description
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
in Newton Upper Falls. There are still old mill buildings in view from the bridge, but most of the gorge remains naturally overgrown with hemlocks
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
. The bridge has two viewing locations, the pedestrian walk on top of the bridge and a platform underneath where visitors can hear the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous echoes
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
. Views include white water, a waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
and the hemlock-lined gorge. The 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) Hemlock Gorge Reservation
Hemlock Gorge Reservation
Hemlock Gorge Reservation is a Massachusetts state park located in Newton and Needham. The park is managed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation .-Description:...
including the gorge is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The bridge is located just off Route 9 where it crosses Route 128. Despite being in the midst of a tangle of highways (a major interchange of the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
is also nearby), the river itself is tree-lined and natural.
Echo Bridge underwent extensive renovations in 2006 and was closed to the public for much of the year; it has been reopened.
The aqueduct was reactivated during a state of emergency declared on May 1, 2010. The line was used to carry clean water to parts of 38 communities affected by a catastrophic failure elsewhere in the MWRA system.