{"nrhp_refnum":"80000638","name":"Echo Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Spans Charles River","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.314734163000026,"lon":-71.22706991599995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-04-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Conservation","Engineering","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Echo Bridge is a granite and brick masonry arch bridge carrying a section of the Sudbury River aqueduct conduit across the Charles River and Ellis Street, linking Needham and Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. It was built in 1876-1877.","why_significant":"The nomination cites its role in the development of Boston's nineteenth-century water supply system and its engineering. Its main arch of nearly 130 feet was for many years the second longest masonry arch in the United States. It lies in Hemlock Gorge, an early Metropolitan District Commission recreation area tied to the conservation movement.","narrative":"Echo Bridge carries a section of the Sudbury River aqueduct across the Charles River and Ellis Street, joining Needham to Newton Upper Falls in Massachusetts. Built in 1876-1877 of granite with brick and concrete above, it has seven arches. The largest, a segmental arch over the river, spans about 130 feet and was for many years the second longest masonry arch in the United States. The conduit was part of a system bringing water to Boston's growing population. The bridge's location was chosen to disturb the village at Newton Upper Falls as little as possible, and its base was widened to deal with unstable rock on the east bank. The main arch settled only two inches when its supporting framework was removed. The name comes from the echo heard beneath the arch. Set in Hemlock Gorge, an early Metropolitan District Commission recreation area, the bridge now also serves as a pedestrian walkway between two parks.","period_of_significance":"1876-1877","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as structurally sound and in good condition, unaltered and on its original site. It still carries the conduit and also serves as a pedestrian walkway between two park areas. Graffiti was noted as disfiguring it.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.570039-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/50/7958/63795850/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/80000638.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000638/3cf0cdef7e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000638/3cf0cdef7e-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Echo_Bridge_-_Newton,_MA_-_DSC09470.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Echo_Bridge_-_Newton,_MA_-_DSC09470.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"86001750","name":"Newton Upper Falls Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/newton-upper-falls-historic-district-86001750/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795850","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5332684"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/echo-bridge-80000638/"}