Walden Street Cattle Pass, Railroad cattle underpass in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Walden Street Cattle Pass is a brick tunnel built beneath the railroad tracks in Cambridge to allow livestock movement between different areas of town. The passage shows typical construction methods from the 1800s and remains visible from street level today.
The tunnel was built in 1857 to move cattle between railroad lines and nearby livestock markets in the area. This passage remained in use until the early 1900s when livestock operations in the region declined.
This passage shows how Cambridge evolved in the 1800s when railroads and livestock farming worked together in the region. The structure tells of a time when animals were routinely moved through town on their way to markets.
The tunnel sits beneath the Fitchburg Line and can be viewed from Walden Street level. The location is straightforward to reach and gives you a clear view of the brick structure and how it was built.
The tunnel underwent careful restoration work between 2007 and 2008 that preserved its original brick construction from 1857. This restoration happened alongside replacement of the railroad bridge directly above it.
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