Fells Connector Parkways facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Fells Connector Parkways, Metropolitan System of Greater Boston
|
|
Fellsway West in Medford
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Malden and Medford, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1895 |
| Architect | Eliot, Charles; Olmsted Brothers |
| MPS | Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000379 |
| Added to NRHP | May 9, 2003 |
The Fells Connector Parkways are a group of historic roads in Malden and Medford, Massachusetts. These cities are suburbs just north of Boston. The three main parkways are The Fellsway, Fellsway West, and Fellsway East. They help people get from the lower part of the Mystic River Reservation to the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The latter two parkways continue north, leading deeper into the Fells and connecting to Lynn Fells Parkway.
These parkways were among the first connecting roads designed for the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. They were planned by Charles Eliot. Important parts of these parkways south of the Fells were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Building the Parkways
After a law was passed in 1894, the Metropolitan Parks Commission started working with Charles Eliot. Their goal was to plan a special road, or parkway, to connect Boston to the beautiful Middlesex Fells Reservation. This was a bit tricky because there were already many buildings between the Mystic River and the Fells.
Eliot and the commission came up with a smart plan. They decided on a main road, The Fellsway, which would go north through Medford and Malden. Then, it would split into two branches. Fellsway West would lead to Pine Hill in Medford and the western parts of the Fells. Fellsway East would go to Bear's Den Hill in Malden and the eastern areas. These roads were made very wide (about 120 feet or 36 meters). This allowed space for different ways to travel: cars, streetcars, walkers, and bikers.
The Fellsway
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Location: | Somerville–Medford |
| Length: | 2.2 mi (3.5 km) |
Land for The Fellsway was bought in 1896. It originally started at Mystic Avenue in Somerville. Later, in 1898, it was extended south to Broadway. The part of the parkway in Somerville south of Mystic Avenue later became part of the McGrath Highway. The construction of I-93 also changed a large section of it.
The Fellsway is known as Massachusetts Route 28 for its entire length. From Somerville, it crosses the Mystic River into Medford on the Wellington Bridge. It then enters the Wellington Circle interchange, where it meets the Mystic Valley Parkway and Revere Beach Parkway. Both of these are part of Massachusetts Route 16. The Fellsway crosses into Malden near Devir Park. It ends where it meets Fellsway West and Fellsway East. The parts of The Fellsway in Medford and Malden, including its middle sections and Wellington Circle, are listed on the National Register.
Fellsway West
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Location: | Medford–Stoneham |
| Length: | 3.6 mi (5.8 km) |
Parts of the land for Fellsway West were bought in 1896, and the rest in 1897. The eastern part followed an existing road in Medford called Valley Street. The road goes west from the northern end of The Fellsway. Soon after, it crosses Massachusetts Route 60 near the Malden-Medford border. At Fulton Street, the road turns north, running next to Interstate 93 to Roosevelt Circle. This is where it ended when it was finished in 1898.
From Roosevelt Circle, it continues north into the Fells. This extension was built between 1905 and 1908. It was fully extended to Stoneham in 1931. The section about 2000 feet (610 meters) north of Roosevelt Circle has changed a lot because of I-93. Only the section between Fulton Street and The Fellsway is part of the National Register listing for the Fells Connector Parkways. The section just north of Roosevelt Circle is part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation Parkways listing. Fellsway West is also known as Massachusetts Route 28 for its entire length.
Fellsway East
| Fellsway East | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Malden–Stoneham |
| Length: | 2.6 mi (4.2 km) |
Fellsway East goes north from where it meets The Fellsway and Fellsway West. Its entire length is in Malden, Melrose, and Stoneham. The oldest part goes to East Border Road at the southern edge of the Fells. It crosses Massachusetts Route 60 and passes Fellsmere Park.
Except for a small part, it is a wide, multi-lane road with many trees over its northern section. This makes it the best-preserved part of the Fells Connector Parkways. From the junction with East Border Road, it becomes a narrower park road. It passes through a heavily wooded area of the Fells Reservation in Melrose. Then, it becomes a border road, running along the eastern edge of the reservation in Melrose. It ends where it meets Pond Street and Lynn Fells Parkway in Stoneham. The section of this parkway south of East Border Road is listed as part of the Fellsway Connector Parkways. The northern section is listed as part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation Parkways.
Changes Over Time
These parkways have changed quite a bit since they were first built. Streetcar lines ran along The Fellsway and Fellsway West from 1907 into the 1940s. They even reached Stoneham Square. This service was later cut back to only run along The Fellsway, and then completely stopped in the 1950s.
The Wellington Bridge, which was originally a drawbridge (a bridge that can be raised), was replaced in 1914. Roosevelt Circle was first built as a round traffic area in the 1930s to handle more cars. It was replaced by the current elevated traffic circle when I-93 was built in the late 1950s. Wellington Circle, also originally a round traffic area, was redesigned in 1941 and again in 1956. The southernmost part of The Fellsway was largely removed when I-93 was built through Somerville.
