Mystic Water Works | Mystic Valley Parkway | Somerville

[Arlington]

Wikipedia says the Mystic Water Works belongs to the City of Somerville. What are they doing with it? Apparently it is a national register building with none of its original waterworks guts. Seems crazy to let it just sit there.

Photo Credit Wiki Commons user Magicpiano

When first built, it housed two steam-powered engines with a combined capability of moving 13 million gallons of water per day. The additions were built to provide space for addition pumps as the system was expanded to include Everett in 1870, and again in 1895. The facility was abandoned by the MDC in 1912, and its machinery scrapped. During World War I it housed offices, and in 1921 it was adapted for use as a machine shop. At the time of its listing on the National Register it was still in this use by the MDC.[2] The building is now vacant, and belongs to the city of Somerville.

Here between Capen St and the MVP is a piece of infrastructure built by Charlestown (before there was a Somerville).

You can also see it on near the centerline and upper-right quadrant of this old aerial engraving from 1897. In this illustration, it is listed as: "9 B.W.W. Pumping Station"

Where I take BWW= Boston Water Works.

Why does it just sit?

 

[JumboBuc]

As of August 2010: Legislature clears way for new Somerville senior housing

As of last February: Somerville to turn former Water Works into affordable housing

And as of last month: "[SHA deputy director Paul Mackey] said the authority [...] was looking to add another 25 [affordable units] by renovating the Mystic Waterworks building."

 

[Arlington]

^ Thanks so much for this! Now I'm trying to remember if the current SHA Capen Court project was built on the water works' "back lot"?