{"nrhp_refnum":"89002293","name":"Sudbury Aqueduct Linear District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Along Sudbury Aqueduct from Farm Pond at Waverly St. to Chestnut Hill Reservoir","address_restricted":false,"city":"Framingham","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.28536050000005,"lon":-71.29149715806517,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-01-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Engineering","Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A linear district formed by the Sudbury Aqueduct, a brick-and-stone water conduit about 16 miles long, running from Farm Pond in Framingham to Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston through Framingham, Natick, Sherborn, Wellesley and Newton, Massachusetts. It was built 1875-1878 and covers roughly 190 acres.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the aqueduct is important in the history of Boston's water distribution. It was the second in a series of water supply aqueducts and represents late 19th-century water technology, construction methods and municipal architecture. It retains integrity and meets Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Built between 1875 and 1878, the Sudbury Aqueduct carried water about 16 miles from Farm Pond in Framingham to Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston, passing through Natick, Sherborn, Wellesley and Newton. It was built to serve Boston's growing population after the city annexed five neighboring towns in 1874. The horseshoe-shaped conduit is made of brick and stone masonry, with embankments, four tunnels, two bridges (Waban Bridge and the seven-arch Echo Bridge over the Charles River), a siphon, waste weirs, a gatehouse and a metering chamber. George Clough, Boston City Architect, designed several of the structures in a Victorian style. At capacity it delivered 80 million gallons a day. It left service in 1974 but is still used occasionally to move water into the Charles River. The district was listed for its role in Boston's water supply and its late 19th-century engineering and design.","period_of_significance":"1875-1926","architect_builder":"Engineers J.P. Davis and A. Fteley; contractors Lobdell and Phelps; George A. Clough, Boston City Architect, designed the weirs, gatehouse and terminal chamber; siphon by C. McClallan & Sons; Charles River Bridge by George W. Phelps; Waban Bridge by Boynton Brothers","architectural_style":"Victorian (municipal waterworks structures); terminal chamber shows Frank Furness influence","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Taken out of service in 1974 because of poor water quality, but used occasionally to release water into the Charles River. Condition ranges from the heavily vandalized Farm Pond Gatehouse to the pristine terminal chamber.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:00.797439-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/31/7923/63792331/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/89002293.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89002293/8fbc3ed369-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89002293/8fbc3ed369-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SherbornMA_SudburyAqueductWeirHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63792331","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudbury_Aqueduct","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7633494"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/sudbury-aqueduct-linear-district-89002293/"}