Wachusett Dam and Reservoir – Before There Was A Dam

The Wachusett Dam & Reservoir

Before There Was A Dam©

How they built it and what became of the people who lived there

©beforetherewasadam.com

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6.22.26

Lecture Series

West Boylston Old Town

Part 3 The Lower Village

In the West Boylston in 1896 a thriving commercial center was located on the major crossroads of Prospect Street and East Main Street.

This busy hub held the West Boylston Railroad Station, livery stables, hotels and inns, provision markets, pharmacy, meeting hall, general store and…a saloon. There was also a noticeable absence of schools and churches. The residents were chiefly businessmen (and women) and factory workers, both transient and landed.

Today this neighborhood is completely submerged by the Wachusett Reservoir. Its location will be seen from the causeway, stretching off over a mile to the town line with Boylston.

This story will give a sense of the appearance of West Boylston Lower Village.

Thanks,

Paul

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5.15.26

Lecture Series

An 1895 Tour up the Nashua River Valley via River, Road & Rail

A tour of the valley through Boylston and West Boylston, appearing quite bucolic at times, before the coming of the Wachusett Reservoir changed everything.

My friends at the Northborough Historical Society expressed an interest in expanding their knowledge of the Wachusett Dam project, as the Wachusett Aqueduct already passes through their town.

Here is a recording of the presentation they received on May 15, 2026 where a good time was had by all.

Thanks,

Paul

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4.16.26

Hidden Hydraulics at the Dam

Path of the Water Through the Dam

This presentation was given to an audience of engineers (my peers) at the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority in Chelsea, Mass. on April 16, 2026. The Authority wanted introduce the younger engineers to the systems of the Wachusett Dam.

Included are a few subtle hydraulic tricks the original engineers designed in and the main piping from the Reservoir to the Nashua River, ending with a short video of the Maximum Flow Test. (300 million gallons per day).

I hope you like it.

Thanks,

Paul

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West Boylston Old Town

Lower Village & Clarendon Mills

West Boylston had a commercial center which was devoid of public buildings and churches like the other areas. What it did have was a major county crossroads, a train station, thriving small businesses and…a large, mutually supportive textile mill.

Known as the Lower Village, or Lower Common, it was centered around a pleasant little fenced in park with a bandstand, and other entertainments.

Be sure to have a look at the other articles in this series at West Boylston Old Town.

Thanks,

Paul

3.17.26

The Underwater Rail Road

Not much detail remains in the archives about the railroad that was abandoned under the Wachusett Reservoir, the records having been discarded. Here is a collection of photographs taken along that scenic route before the construction activities began. Later this year (hopefully) I will fill out this story with a tour of rural life that existed there and how the contractors made use of the old line to haul vast amounts of material from around the country to build the dam.

Thanks,

Paul

See for Yourself!

Source Documents for this site – 8,000+ Images

Explore the wide array of contemporary photographs, available in the public domain, that were used for the articles presented here.

https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/collections/commonwealth:g732dh56k

email: paul@pmarrone.com