Mystic Water Works, historic building in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
The Mystic Water Works is a historic pumping station along Mystic Valley Parkway in Somerville that once processed water for the city and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The facility was built with two steam-powered engines that could move up to 13 million gallons of water each day, and it received additions in 1870 and 1895 to accommodate more pumps as the system expanded to nearby areas.
The facility was built to supply water to Somerville's growing population and was documented on 1897 maps as Boston's 9th pumping station. Operations ended in 1912 when the Metropolitan District Commission abandoned the site, and the building afterward served as offices and later as a machine shop.
The name reflects its original purpose and marks a key part of how the city developed its infrastructure in the 1800s. Walking past the brick structure today, you can sense how vital this facility was to serving the area's water needs as Somerville grew.
The building sits along Mystic Valley Parkway and is visible from outside but currently remains vacant and is not open to the public. You can admire the characteristic brick architecture and industrial structure from the street to get a sense of 19th-century engineering design.
The building served as office space during World War I from around 1917 and was converted into a machine shop by 1921. This adaptive reuse demonstrates how Somerville repurposed the structure for different needs after its water-pumping days ended.
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