Paul's Bridge
Encyclopedia
Paul's Bridge is a stone overpass over the Neponset River
. It is a part of the Neponset Valley Parkway
, which is in itself a Historic District. It replaced an earlier Hubbard's Bridge (prior to 1759), and a subsequent Paul's Bridge (so named at its 1807 reconstruction). It's span is approximately 88 feet. The name "Paul" can be attributed to the owner of the adjacent land on the Readville side, then part of Dedham.
The bridge was built in 1849 at a width of 23 feet, constructed of unmortared stone. It replaced two previous wooden bridges that had been on the site since the early 18th century. Each round arch measures 20 feet at the springline. Originally the pass was secured by a wooden fence with iron stanchions. It had a major rebuilding between 1932-1935 undertaken by Arthur A. Shurcliff, FASLA and founder of the AIP, who made it a priority to widen the bridge. Most of the original stone was reused and solid stone parapets replaced the wooden siderails.
At the bridge's location, the Neponset River acts as the border between Milton
and the southernmost portion of Boston, Hyde Park neighborhood
, which at that time was historically Dedham.
Paul's Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972. It was designed by the Olmsted and Eliot firm, the same Frederick Law Olmsted
responsible for the Emerald Necklace
Park System which runs through Boston.
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
. It is a part of the Neponset Valley Parkway
Neponset Valley Parkway
Neponset Valley Parkway is a historic parkway in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts, United States. The parkway was constructed from 1898 to 1929 by Charles Eliot and the Olmstead Brothers and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The parkway serves as a connector between the...
, which is in itself a Historic District. It replaced an earlier Hubbard's Bridge (prior to 1759), and a subsequent Paul's Bridge (so named at its 1807 reconstruction). It's span is approximately 88 feet. The name "Paul" can be attributed to the owner of the adjacent land on the Readville side, then part of Dedham.
The bridge was built in 1849 at a width of 23 feet, constructed of unmortared stone. It replaced two previous wooden bridges that had been on the site since the early 18th century. Each round arch measures 20 feet at the springline. Originally the pass was secured by a wooden fence with iron stanchions. It had a major rebuilding between 1932-1935 undertaken by Arthur A. Shurcliff, FASLA and founder of the AIP, who made it a priority to widen the bridge. Most of the original stone was reused and solid stone parapets replaced the wooden siderails.
At the bridge's location, the Neponset River acts as the border between Milton
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
and the southernmost portion of Boston, Hyde Park neighborhood
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, which at that time was historically Dedham.
Paul's Bridge 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...
in 1972. It was designed by the Olmsted and Eliot firm, the same Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
responsible for the Emerald Necklace
Emerald Necklace
The Emerald Necklace consists of an chain of parks linked by parkways and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. It gets its name from the way the planned chain appears to hang from the "neck" of the Boston peninsula, although it was never fully constructed.-Overview:The Necklace...
Park System which runs through Boston.