Watertown Arsenal
Encyclopedia
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Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
located on the northern shore of 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...
in Watertown, Massachusetts
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
. Its site is now registered on the ASCE
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
's List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and on the U.S.'s 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...
, and it is home to the Arsenal Mall
Arsenal Mall
Arsenal Mall is a small enclosed shopping mall located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Its anchor stores include The Home Depot, Marshalls, Forever 21, and Old Navy. The mall, managed by Simon Property Group, features 56 stores and a food court....
, a park, restaurants, and many offices.
History
The arsenal was established in 1816, on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land, by the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for the receipt, storage, and issuance of ordnance
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
. In this role, it replaced the earlier Charlestown arsenal. The arsenal's earliest plan incorporated 12 buildings aligned along a north-south axis overlooking the river. Alexander Parris
Alexander Parris
Alexander Parris was a prominent American architect-engineer. Beginning as a housewright, he evolved into an architect whose work transitioned from Federal style architecture to the later Greek Revival. Parris taught Ammi B. Young, and was among the group of architects influential in founding what...
, later designer of Quincy Market
Quincy Market
Quincy Market is a historic building near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed 1824–1826 and named in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt.-History:...
, was architect. Buildings included a military store and arsenal, as well as shops and housing for officers and men. All were made of brick with slate roofs in the Federal style, and a high wall enclosed the compound. By 1819 all buildings were completed and occupied.
The arsenal's site, duties, and buildings grew gradually until the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, enlarging beyond the original quadrangle. During the war it greatly expanded to produce field and coastal gun carriages, and war's impetus led to the quick construction of a large machine shop and smith shop built as contemporary factories, as well as a number of smaller buildings.
During the Civil War, a new commander's quarters was commissioned by then-Capt. Thomas J. Rodman
Thomas Jackson Rodman
Thomas Jackson Rodman was an American artillerist, inventor, ordnance specialist, and career United States Army officer...
, inventor of the Rodman gun
Rodman gun
Rodman gun refers to a series of American Civil War-era columbiads designed by Union artilleryman Thomas Jackson Rodman . The guns were designed to fire both shot and shell. These heavy guns were intended to be mounted in seacoast fortifications. They were built in 8-inch, 10-inch, 13-inch,...
. The lavish, 12700 sq ft (1,179.9 m²), quarters would ultimately become one of the largest commander's quarters on any U.S. military installation. This mansion
Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal
The Commanding Officer's Quarters, Watertown Arsenal is a historic house at 443 Arsenal Street in Watertown, Massachusetts. It now houses offices and a museum about the historic Watertown Arsenal....
is now on 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 expense ($63,478.65) was considered wasteful and excessive and drew a stern rebuke from Congress, who then promoted Rodman to Brigadier General and sent him to command Rock Island Arsenal
Rock Island Arsenal
The Rock Island Arsenal comprises , located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It lies within the state of Illinois. The island was originally established as a government site in 1816, with...
on the frontier in Illinois, where he built an even larger commander's quarters.
Activities and new construction at the Watertown Arsenal continued to gradually expand until the early 1890s.
Activities changed decisively in 1892 when Congress authorized modernization to gun carriage manufacturing. At this point the arsenal became a manufacturing complex rather than storage depot. A number of major buildings were constructed, which over time began to reflect typical industrial facilities rather than the earlier arsenal styles. In 1897 an additional 44 acres (178,061.8 m²) were purchased, and a hospital built.
Scientific management
Scientific management
Scientific management, also called Taylorism, was a theory of management that analyzed and synthesized workflows. Its main objective was improving economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the engineering of processes and to management...
was implemented at the arsenal between 1908 and 1915. It was considered by the War Department as successful in saving money over the alternatives; but it was so hated by the work force that the Congress eventually overturned its use.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the arsenal nearly tripled in size. Building #311 was then reported to be one of the largest steel-frame structures in the United States, sized to accommodate both very large gun carriages and the equipment used to construct them. Railroad tracks ran throughout the arsenal complex. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought an additional 7 acres (28,328 m²) with existing industrial buildings, as the arsenal produced steel artillery pieces. In 1959-1960, the Horace Hardy Lester Reactor was constructed on site, for material research programs, and operated there until 1970.
In 1968 the Army ceased operations at the arsenal; 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) were sold to the Watertown Redevelopment Authority, while the remaining 48 acres (194,249.3 m²) were converted to the United States Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC), renamed the United States Army Materials Technology Laboratory (MTL) in 1985. In 1995 all Army activity ceased and the remainder of the site was converted to civilian use.
The Armory site was formerly included on US EPA's National Priorities List of highly contaminated sites, more widely known as Superfund. The site was removed from the NPL in 2006.
The largest buildings at the site are now home to the aptly named, Arsenal Mall
Arsenal Mall
Arsenal Mall is a small enclosed shopping mall located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Its anchor stores include The Home Depot, Marshalls, Forever 21, and Old Navy. The mall, managed by Simon Property Group, features 56 stores and a food court....
.