Powder House Square
Encyclopedia
Powder House Square is a neighborhood and landmark rotary
in Somerville, Massachusetts
, United States
. It is also known locally as Powder House Circle. It is the 6-way intersection of College Avenue, Broadway, Warner Street, and Powder House Boulevard. Powder House Square guards the southern tip of Tufts University
's main Somerville/Medford
campus, and borders the northern edge of Nathan Tufts Park. The square takes its name from the 18th century Powder House which overlooks the rotary from Nathan Tufts Park.
to the settlement at Menotomy (present-day Arlington
).
The Powder House was built in 1703 or 1704 by John Mallet. It was originally used as a windmill, but the owning family sold it to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1747, and it was used as a powder magazine
thereafter.
On September 1, 1774, British
troops landed at the Ten Hills Farm on the Mystic River
in present-day Somerville, and marched up Broadway to the Powder House in order to seize all 250 barrels of gunpowder
that were stored there. This act led to a massive public reaction known as the Powder Alarm
. Thousands of irregulars from surrounding towns prepared to march toward Boston
for battle, but the rumors of war turned out to be premature. The public outrage forced the British General Gage
to cancel a planned second expedition to seize more arms, and prompted the area colonists to amass their weapons at Concord
and other more remote locations. The Powder House would be used as a magazine for militia troops besieging Boston
in 1775.
Massachusetts
sold the land containing the Powder House to Peter Tufts in 1818. The estate, known as the Powder House Farm, was used as a farm and residence for the Tufts family for most of the 19th century, passing to Peter's heir, Nathan Tufts. Incidentally, another Tufts relative - Charles Tufts
- donated the land across Broadway on the Somerville/Medford line to found Tufts College (now Tufts University
). The college was founded in 1852, on Walnut Hill
slightly to the north of present-day Powder House Square. The descendants of Nathan Tufts donated the Powder House Farm along with its namesake structure to the City of Somerville
in 1890, and from this Nathan Tufts Park was established in 1893.
Powder House Boulevard was created in 1900, extending northwest from Broadway at Nathan Tufts Park. According to a plaque placed at the center of the rotary island, the circle was dedicated in 1940 as the James A. Reynolds Traffic Circle after a Tufts College professor.
Nathan Tufts Park (along with the Powder House) was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975, the first of many landmarks in Somerville to be added. The City of Somerville designated the park a local historic district in 1985.
An accidental fire damaged the Powder House in 1998, leading to extensive repairs and renovations in 2000-2001.
The island within the actual traffic circle is a tiny park on its own, complete with walkways, benches, and neatly arranged bushes and other flora. There is a large 360 degree directional post that points in the direction of dozens of different communities (like Arlington, Medford, and Winchester
).
Powder House Square is located less than a half mile from Davis Square
, Teele Square
and Ball Square
in Somerville. It is served by MBTA Buses
80 (Arlington Center/Lechmere
)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=80, 89 (Clarendon Hill/Sullivan Square
)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=89, 94 (Davis Square/Medford Square)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=94, and 96 (Harvard Station
/Medford Square)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=96. Red Line
subway service to Harvard Square
and downtown Boston
is conveniently close at Davis Square Station
.
A proposed light-rail station at Ball Square, as part of the Green Line Extension project, would put Powder House Square within a half mile of the Green Line
in addition to the Red Line
station at Davis Square
.
Several businesses thrive on or around Powder House Square, including restaurants, several small medical and dental practices, and a funeral home.
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
in Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is also known locally as Powder House Circle. It is the 6-way intersection of College Avenue, Broadway, Warner Street, and Powder House Boulevard. Powder House Square guards the southern tip of Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
's main Somerville/Medford
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
campus, and borders the northern edge of Nathan Tufts Park. The square takes its name from the 18th century Powder House which overlooks the rotary from Nathan Tufts Park.
History
Broadway was one of the earliest highways running through what would later become Somerville, originating in the 17th century. Originally called "Menotomie's Road," it ran from CharlestownCharlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
to the settlement at Menotomy (present-day Arlington
Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...
).
The Powder House was built in 1703 or 1704 by John Mallet. It was originally used as a windmill, but the owning family sold it to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in 1747, and it was used as a powder magazine
Gunpowder magazine
A gunpowder magazine is a magazine designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications required storage magazines...
thereafter.
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
troops landed at the Ten Hills Farm on the Mystic River
Mystic River
The Mystic River is a river in Massachusetts, in the United States. Its name derives from the Wampanoag word "muhs-uhtuq", which translates to "big river." In an Algonquian language, "Missi-Tuk" means "a great river whose waters are driven by waves", alluding to the natural tidal nature of the...
in present-day Somerville, and marched up Broadway to the Powder House in order to seize all 250 barrels of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
that were stored there. This act led to a massive public reaction known as the Powder Alarm
Powder Alarm
The Powder Alarm was a massive popular reaction to the removal of gunpowder from a magazine by British soldiers under orders from General Thomas Gage, royal governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, on September 1, 1774...
. Thousands of irregulars from surrounding towns prepared to march toward Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for battle, but the rumors of war turned out to be premature. The public outrage forced the British General Gage
Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage was a British general, best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role as military commander in the early days of the American War of Independence....
to cancel a planned second expedition to seize more arms, and prompted the area colonists to amass their weapons at Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
and other more remote locations. The Powder House would be used as a magazine for militia troops besieging Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
in 1775.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
sold the land containing the Powder House to Peter Tufts in 1818. The estate, known as the Powder House Farm, was used as a farm and residence for the Tufts family for most of the 19th century, passing to Peter's heir, Nathan Tufts. Incidentally, another Tufts relative - Charles Tufts
Charles Tufts
Charles Tufts was an American businessman. Born in Medford, Massachusetts to Daniel and Abigail Tufts, he was a descendant of Peter Tufts, an early colonist who came to America from England in 1638. He made his fortune through his brickmaking factory...
- donated the land across Broadway on the Somerville/Medford line to found Tufts College (now Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
). The college was founded in 1852, on Walnut Hill
Walnut Hill, Medford, Massachusetts
Walnut Hill, located in Medford, Massachusetts, is the geographical home of Tufts University. Walnut Hill itself later became known as College Hill due to the dominant presence of the University....
slightly to the north of present-day Powder House Square. The descendants of Nathan Tufts donated the Powder House Farm along with its namesake structure to the City of Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
in 1890, and from this Nathan Tufts Park was established in 1893.
Powder House Boulevard was created in 1900, extending northwest from Broadway at Nathan Tufts Park. According to a plaque placed at the center of the rotary island, the circle was dedicated in 1940 as the James A. Reynolds Traffic Circle after a Tufts College professor.
Nathan Tufts Park (along with the Powder House) was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975, the first of many landmarks in Somerville to be added. The City of Somerville designated the park a local historic district in 1985.
An accidental fire damaged the Powder House in 1998, leading to extensive repairs and renovations in 2000-2001.
Powder House Square today
Winchester, Massachusetts
Winchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now an affluent suburb...
).
Powder House Square is located less than a half mile from Davis Square
Davis Square
Davis Square is a major intersection in the northwestern section of Somerville, Massachusetts where several streets meet: Holland Street, Dover Street, Day Street, Elm Street, Highland Avenue, and College Avenue.- Location :...
, Teele Square
Teele Square
Teele Square is at the intersection of Broadway, Holland Street, and Curtis Street in Somerville, Massachusetts, a half-mile from Davis Square and the Davis Square stop on the MBTA Red Line, as well as a half-mile from Alewife Brook Parkway and Powder House Square...
and Ball Square
Ball Square
Ball Square is a neighborhood primarily in Somerville, Massachusetts, but also extending into Medford, at the intersection of Boston Avenue and Broadway, located between Powder House Square and Magoun Square. It is primarily a residential area with a handful of shops and restaurants along Broadway...
in Somerville. It is served by MBTA Buses
MBTA Bus
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates a large number of bus lines in the greater Boston area. Some routes are for transport within the city; others bring passengers from surrounding areas to stops on the rail lines of the MBTA.The MBTA also operates bus rapid transit service; see...
80 (Arlington Center/Lechmere
Lechmere (MBTA station)
Lechmere is the northern terminus of the MBTA Green Line. It is located in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, near the intersection of Cambridge Street and Monsignor O'Brien Highway . The tracks make a loop at Lechmere, with a small yard...
)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=80, 89 (Clarendon Hill/Sullivan Square
Sullivan Square (MBTA station)
Sullivan Square is a station on the MBTA rapid transit Orange Line, and a major bus transfer point. It was also a major transfer point on the old Charlestown Elevated, with two streetcar loops for free transfers, later converted for trackless trolleys and buses.The first Sullivan Square station...
)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=89, 94 (Davis Square/Medford Square)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=94, and 96 (Harvard Station
Harvard (MBTA station)
Harvard is a station on the Red Line of the MBTA subway system in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The third-busiest MBTA subway station, Harvard saw 21,868 entries each weekday in 2010, with only Downtown Crossing and South Station being busier...
/Medford Square)http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=96. Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
subway service to Harvard Square
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
and downtown Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
is conveniently close at Davis Square Station
Davis (MBTA station)
Davis Station is located at the intersection of Holland Street, Elm Street, and College Avenue , in Somerville, Massachusetts. It opened on December 8, 1984. Davis Station is named after the Davis family of Massachusetts, a political dynasty whose members, over 220 years, have held at least...
.
A proposed light-rail station at Ball Square, as part of the Green Line Extension project, would put Powder House Square within a half mile of the Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
in addition to the Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
station at Davis Square
Davis (MBTA station)
Davis Station is located at the intersection of Holland Street, Elm Street, and College Avenue , in Somerville, Massachusetts. It opened on December 8, 1984. Davis Station is named after the Davis family of Massachusetts, a political dynasty whose members, over 220 years, have held at least...
.
Several businesses thrive on or around Powder House Square, including restaurants, several small medical and dental practices, and a funeral home.