There are times when beauty far outweighs the practicality of a matter, the result being profound beauty that will outlive many lifetimes. Such is the case with a little granite bridge located in West Medford, Mass., a bridge that spans more than the Middlesex Canal, its memory spans many lifetimes. The story begins right here in Concord on Rattlesnake Hill.
There was a glorious estate located in West Medford, Mass., an estate that was initially established by the Brooks family back in the year 1660. Over a period of time the family enjoyed wealth and success and were well regarded in the surrounding community. After many generations of expansion and quality enhancements to the Brooks Estate the property was owned by descendant Peter Brooks. He built himself a wonderful mansion and lived his years surrounded by the beauty he so adored. The grounds were manicured and the plantings well thought, the details were meticulous and enjoyed by Peter Brooks, his family and the community. The large estate was surrounded by progress in the very early 1800s and parts of the estate were impacted by this progress.
In 1803, the Middlesex Canal and in 1835 the Lowell Railroad were opened and well-traveled. The southern portion of the estate saw a change in ownership when Thomas Smith acquired it and the northern area of the original estate witnessed the development of the Oak Grove Cemetery. A school was built along the estate and the Mystic Valley Parkway was eventually constructed as the years progressed.
When the canal company constructed the Middlesex Canal the estate was essentially cut in half by the narrow waterway with a rough wooden bridge built by the canal company to allow passage over the canal. The site was not pleasing to Peter so he embarked upon a project and employed a fine architect in the year 1820 to construct a beautiful granite bridge that would span the canal from one side of his property to the other. The architect George Rumford Baldwin was selected and plans were designed for construction.
The initial plans for the small but elegant granite bridge involved a search for the best granite, the architect sent representatives to area quarries searching from Chelmsford north. A gentleman traveled to Concord and hired a guide to traverse Rattlesnake Hill. He visited some of the very first quarries that were managed by overseers with convict labor from the New Hampshire State Prison. During this period the explosive development of the granite industry in Concord had not materialized, much of the quality granite was simply obtained by harvesting the large granite boulders that littered Rattlesnake Hill. The large boulders would be cut into blocks and used for early construction. The quality of the granite was noted to be superior and well sought after by architects and builders of the day. George Rumford Baldwin, aware of the quality granite from Concord, secured a contract and placed his order for the granite blocks needed to span the Middlesex Canal on the estate of the Brooks family.
The convicts worked diligently on the order for Mr. Baldwin and provided the materials required. Each granite stone was loaded onto a barge on the shore of the Merrimack River in Concord and floated south eventually connecting to the Middlesex Canal that it was destined to span for many years.
The name of the long dead stonemason that constructed the bridge has been lost to time. The craftsmen cut and fitted the Concord granite blocks expertly with the keystone set at the top to securely anchor this masterpiece. It has been noted time and time again that the bridge was widely admired by all and the stonemason that constructed the bridge visited decades later to admire the elegant work of his younger self.
Sadly, after just 56 years the old granite bridge from Concord was taken down one block at a time until completely removed. It was sacrificed for the extension of Boston Avenue along the old canal site.
For almost six decades the Brooks family enjoyed the use of the bridge and the romanticism it inspired. The bridge became a part of many family stories and was revered and sought by those in search of solitude. Perhaps it is true that all good things must end, but here we are a century later admiring the beauty of the granite blocks that once were. Simply a bridge bringing us back to a simpler time and endless beauty.