The Wachusett Dam & Reservoir
Before There Was A Dam©
How they built it and what became of the people who lived there
©beforetherewasadam.com
All rights Reserved
Presentations can be arranged
Marquee…
2.26.26
West Boylston Old Town
French Hill
French Hill was an important part of the old West Boylston. Settled by French and Irish Catholics, who came to work in the local mills and build homes and a community complete with their own church, it is today just a twenty acre patch of woods covered with power lines.
Here is a video of the French Hill story I presented to a local audience at the Beaman Library (44 minutes).
Thanks,
Paul
12.11.25
Wachusett Aqueduct Maximum Flow Test
Recent extensive pipe and valve replacement at the Lower Gate House (powerhouse) at the Wachusett Dam has finally been completed and the Wachusett Aqueduct reactivated.
The final phase of the completed pipe and valve contract included a maximum flow test of the aqueduct.
That’s a lot of water, up to 240 million gallons of water in 2-3 hours, to go down that tunnel.
John Gregoire of MWRA supervised the test and was kind enough to invite me along.
Here are some of the videos we took from that day all the way from Clinton to Southborough.
I hope you like them.
Thanks,
Paul
Lower Weir at Deerfoot Road in Southborough at low water
Menu…
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.
All rights reserved Before There Was A Dam©
email: paul@pmarrone.com