Stony Brook (Waltham)
Encyclopedia
Stony Brook is a stream largely running through Weston
, Massachusetts
, then forming the Weston/Waltham
boundary, and emptying into the Charles River
across from the Waltham/Newton
boundary. It has two tributaries, Cherry Brook and Hobbs Brook, and its watershed includes about half of Lincoln
and Weston as well as parts of Lexington
and Waltham. Since 1887, it has been the water supply
for Cambridge
.
In the early 19th century, there was a paper mill
at the mouth of Stony Brook.
In the late 19th century, Eben Norton Horsford
identified the mouth of Stony Brook as the location of a supposed Norse
city, Norumbega
, and commissioned the Norumbega Tower
, which carries a long inscription describing the supposed city.
There are three large ponds, all artificial, in the Stony Brook watershed: the Cambridge Reservoir (Hobbs Pond), the Stony Brook Reservoir (Turtle Pond), and Flint's Pont (also known as Sandy Pond). In 1887, on the site of Turtle Pond, the city of Cambridge completed construction of the Stony Brook Reservoir Dam where Stony Brook joins the Charles as part of its water supply. In 1910, Hobbs Pond was dammed to become the Cambridge Reservoir. Flint's Pond (also known as Sandy Pond) was dammed to become the reservoir for the town of Lincoln; the DeCordova Museum is on its southeast bank.
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
, 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...
, then forming the Weston/Waltham
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
boundary, and emptying into the Charles River
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...
across from the Waltham/Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
boundary. It has two tributaries, Cherry Brook and Hobbs Brook, and its watershed includes about half of Lincoln
Lincoln, Massachusetts
Lincoln is a town in the historic area of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,362 at the 2010 census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base that live within town limits...
and Weston as well as parts of Lexington
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
and Waltham. Since 1887, it has been the water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
for Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
In the early 19th century, there was a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
at the mouth of Stony Brook.
In the late 19th century, Eben Norton Horsford
Eben Norton Horsford
Eben Norton Horsford was an American scientist who is best known for his reformulation of baking powder, his interest in Viking settlements in America, and the monuments he built to Leif Erikson.-Life and work:...
identified the mouth of Stony Brook as the location of a supposed Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
city, Norumbega
Norumbega
Norumbega was a legendary settlement in northeastern North America, inextricably connected with attempts to demonstrate Viking incursions in New England...
, and commissioned the Norumbega Tower
Norumbega Tower
The Norumbega Tower is a stone tower erected by Eben Norton Horsford in 1889 to mark the supposed location of Fort Norumbega, a Norse fort and city. It is located in Weston, Massachusetts at the confluence of Stony Brook and the Charles River.-References:...
, which carries a long inscription describing the supposed city.
There are three large ponds, all artificial, in the Stony Brook watershed: the Cambridge Reservoir (Hobbs Pond), the Stony Brook Reservoir (Turtle Pond), and Flint's Pont (also known as Sandy Pond). In 1887, on the site of Turtle Pond, the city of Cambridge completed construction of the Stony Brook Reservoir Dam where Stony Brook joins the Charles as part of its water supply. In 1910, Hobbs Pond was dammed to become the Cambridge Reservoir. Flint's Pond (also known as Sandy Pond) was dammed to become the reservoir for the town of Lincoln; the DeCordova Museum is on its southeast bank.
See also
- Stony Brook (Boston)Stony Brook (Boston)Stony Brook was formerly a major watercourse in the city of Boston. It originates at Turtle Pond in the Stony Brook Reservation; it flows through Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury...
, a distinct Stony Brook only a few miles away