Newton Street Bridge
Why it's listed
Newton Street crosses the Charles River in Waltham on a stone bridge completed in the latter part of 1877. The structure has three broad elliptical arches edged with granite voussoirs, and its granite blocks are rock faced. A border of granite blocks along the top shows irregularly spaced notches on their narrow sides. Hiram Blaisdell of Concord is credited with the design, and the date is confirmed by the Waltham Town Report of 1878. The bridge replaced an earlier crossing on the same site: Waltham's first bridge over the Charles, built in 1761-62 with Newton, at the initiative of militia Captain Joshua Fuller and Stephen Shite. It is the only late 19th-century Charles River bridge in Waltham that has not been widened or substantially rebuilt, and it retains its original location, design, materials and workmanship. It was listed for its association with local history and for its design. Its condition is described as good.
Significance in brief: It is the only late 19th-century bridge over the Charles River in Waltham that has not been widened or substantially rebuilt. It is a handsome example of a triple-arch stone bridge by a Concord bridge specialist. It also occupies the site of Waltham's first bridge across the Charles, built in 1761-62.
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 89001539, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Newton St. at River St. over the Charles River, Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001539 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Hiram Blaisdell (engineer/designer, of Concord, MA) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th-century masonry triple-arch stone bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, with no alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37243, -71.22874 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 89001539.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715775
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.