Breakheart Reservation Parkways-Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
Why it's listed
Four paved roads totaling 4.42 miles make up this parkway district inside Breakheart Reservation, a 640-acre wooded park of rocky outcrops, two lakes and a stretch of the Saugus River in Saugus and Wakefield. Forest Street is a short divided parkway that connects the park to Lynn Fells Parkway, while Pine Tops, Elm and Hemlock Roads are single-lane internal roads now used mainly by walkers and joggers. Contributing features include fieldstone entry gate piers, a system of historic culverts, and wooden and steel roadside barriers. Hemlock Road follows a right of way dating to the 1600s. The Metropolitan District Commission acquired the former hunting preserve in 1934, and Civilian Conservation Corps workers built the roads under a design credited to landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff. The roads were recognized for their landscape architecture, engineering and recreational role, with a period of significance from 1934 to 1956.
Significance in brief: The parkways reflect the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built the park roads after the state acquired the land in 1934, and the reservation was designed by landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff. The form finds them significant at the state level for landscape architecture, engineering, conservation, recreation, transportation and community planning. Hemlock Road follows a right of way dating to the 1600s.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000748, listed August 11, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Forest St., Pine Tops, Elm and Hemlock Rds., Saugus |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | August 11, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000748 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1934-1956 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Eliot, Olmsted Brothers, Arthur Shurcliff, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Conservation, Engineering, Entertainment/Recreation, Landscape Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Forest Street is the only parkway open to vehicles; Pine Tops, Elm and Hemlock Roads are closed to public vehicles and used by pedestrians, joggers, and emergency and maintenance vehicles. |
| Acreage | 8.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.48711, -71.03102 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000748.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q108906420
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.