BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
2282 0 5 1989 FORM F - STRUCTURE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 MDC - TRA, MASS. AREA FORM NO. 15-2 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5" black and white) -nalcate address on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing structure's location in relation to nearest cross streets, buildings and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection. Indicate north.
see altached UTM REFERENCE 19/323230/4699600 USGS QUANDRANGLE Lexingten SCALE 1:25,000 Town Winchester Address edge of Edgewater Place Name Mystic Dam Ownership: MDC Public Private Type of Structure (check one): bridge canal dam fort gate kiln lighthouse pound powder house street tower tunnel wall windmill other DESCRIPTION Date 1864 Source Boston Water Works, Mystic Supply, 1062-1065 Architect Engineer/Designer (if known): n/a Construction material sranite, wood, earth Alterations (with dates)n/a Condition fair to good Moved no Date Acreage less than one acre Setting between twe lakes in suburban neighborhood Recorded by Jane Carolan Organization Touis Berger " Associates Date January 1984; revised 1989 MDC - TRA, !'AC- NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Mystic Dam is signficant for its association with the Mystic Water Works which are a good example of a small, well integrated mid-nineteenth century muncipal water system.
It is also the oldest MDC dam in Metropolitan Boston. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and feelins and meets Criteria C of the National Register of Historic Places. The boundary includes the dam itself and its wing walls and can be seen on the attached map, Mystic Water Works, Metropolitan Water Works, Land Plans, 1897. Scale: 100'=1". ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important design features and evaluate in terms of other struce ures tc thatethe cos contyex includes Upper and Lower Mystic -akes, a dam (15-2), a gate- house (15-3) and a pumping station (15-4) all built between 1862 and 1865. The facilities are in a dense suburban area. The dam and gatehouse are adjacent to each other and located between Upper and Lower Mystic Lakes.
The pumping station is located on the Mystic River Parkway, an MDC areenbelt parkway approximately ono-quarter mile southeast of the dam and gatehouse- Thelystic Lales are natural clacial kettle ponds and were originally three ponds, now combined into two. Additional structures in the Mystic compler included wooden shops, stables, a superintendent's house and a reservoir, all of which have been demolished. The dam is the oldest dam in the Metropolitan District Commission system. It is 1,560 feet long between two earthern embanknents with a granite overfall. The embankments are lined with puddle and ripran and utilize a natural spit of land. The overfall contains five sranite colurns, each grooved or the inner faces for ston logs.
There is a wooden walkway on top of (continued) HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain historical importance of structure and how the structure relates to the development of the community. Thelystic Water Works, constructed in 1862 to 1865, were built by the City of Charlestown for its own supoly. Water was pumped from the lakes up a hill to a reservoir on what is now the Fufts University campus. The system was taken over by the Boston Water Board when Charlestown was annexed by the city of Boston in 127. The Metrorolitan Water Board tool over operations in 1892, but because of the poor quality of waterthe sunniy was never used, althou? -. the facilities were maintained. Today the entire system is out of service and tne pumpins station is used for a sion. The Mystic Water System has been out of service for many years, and has thus lost integrity as a system.
Three of its components nevertheless do retain integrity and remain as good examples of their type of property. These are the Mystic Dam (15-2), the Mystic Gatehouse (15-3), and the Mystic pumping Station (15-4) BIBLIOGRAPHY and/Or REFERENCES soston vater 3um0]- 1662-1365, Record Description of the Mystic Water Worlts, Fopt at the time of their construction during theyear 1862-3-4-5by Roberdeau Buchanan, S.3. Asst. Enc. conied 1872. 8/85 -INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORI CAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston loF! Commmity: Winchester Form No: 15-2 Property Name: liystic Dam Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECAURAL SIGNIFICANCZ: the overfall with a simple plank railing. At one time a wooden fish ladder was located at the base of the dam, all that remains are some posts.
Ihe dam, now out of service, was built by Barnes, Kingoley and Company, Brooklyr, New Yorli. Staple to Inventory form at bottom (NP8 Form 10800a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Section number _ Page. Water Supply System of Metropolitan Boston MPS Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcester Counties, MASSACHUSETTS *bstantive Herter COVER 1. Ashland Dam and Spillway L S6/6)2. Framingham Reservoir No. 3 Dam ans Pie Torton 3. Framingham Reservoir No. 2 Dam and Gatehouse 4. Framingham Reservoir No. 1 Dam and Gatehouse 5. Hopkinton Dam and Spillway 6. Lake Cochituate Dam 7. Medford Pipe Bridge 1 Sil , 8. Middlesex Fells Reservoirs Historic District Subataaliro Xerter 9. Mystic Dam -Suil * 10. Mystic Gatehouse Jubstanhivo Jorios 11. Mystic Pumping Station 12.
Sudbury Aqueduct Linear District 13. Sudbury Dam Historic District 14. Weston Aqueduct Linear District 15. Fisher Hill Reservoir and Gatehouse 16. Forbes Hill Standpipe 17. Bellevue Standpipe 18. Chestnut Hill Reservoir Historic District L Sul 19. Marlborough Brook Filter Beds Jubstandiva Rorie, DATE LISTED Beth Sezge or-18-90 suenuDger-18-40 BAkf.
Suzge 01-18-90 Ahlnugux1-16-90 AhlomByud 1-18-90 AelastSyud 1-18-90 AlelanDyas11840 AhlanBguel 1-1850 Davye 0-18-90 DelvreByu 11850 01-18-30 AulaiiByui18 40 AenueBgu 178-40 AtelauBgan11810 AelauByu 11870 AelouDyun 1-18-90 TleemAgun1-1840 Almßye 118-90 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Mystic Dam NAME: MULTIPLE Water Supply system of Metropolitan Boston MPS NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: 12/05/89 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 1/04/90 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 12/19/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 1/19/90 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89002282 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: N SLR DRAFT: N _REJECT PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: NATIONAL: 1/10/80 DATE N Entered in the Iatilonal Register RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N CLASSIFICATION count resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic current DESCRIPTION architectural classification materials descriptive text SIGNIFICANCE Period Areas of Significance--Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS verbal boundary description boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION _sketch maps OTHER COMMENTS _USGS maps photographs presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date MDC - TRA, MASS.
Myshe Nam-Winchester," JaneCarolan /Martha Bou louis Berger t18s. Wato of Metrepolite Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64500254