The Fisher Hill Reservoir and Gatehouse are historic elements of the public water supply for the Greater Boston area.

Fisher Hill Reservoir and Gatehouse
Overgrown view in 2011
Fisher Hill Reservoir is located in Massachusetts
Fisher Hill Reservoir
Fisher Hill Reservoir is located in the United States
Fisher Hill Reservoir
LocationFisher Rd. between Hyslop and Channing Rds., Brookline, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°19′45″N 71°8′37″W / 42.32917°N 71.14361°W / 42.32917; -71.14361
Area4 acres (1.6 ha)
Built1887
ArchitectMultiple
Architectural styleRomanesque, Richardsonian Romanesque
Part ofFisher Hill Historic District (ID85003266)
MPSWater Supply System of Metropolitan Boston MPS
NRHP reference No.89002254[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 18, 1990
Designated CPOctober 17, 1985

History

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The reservoir was located on Fisher Avenue between Hyslop and Channing Roads in Brookline, Massachusetts, and is now the site of Fisher Hill Reservoir Park. It was built in 1886-87 as an early component of the Boston Water Board's expansion of its high service system. The gatehouse may have been designed by Arthur Vinal, who also designed the Chestnut Hill pumping station at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir.

It is a two-story Richardsonian Romanesque structure, with its first floor finished in stone and its second in brick. Brownstone trim is used on the windows and corner quoins, and the voussoirs which form the arches on the first floor. There are pipes to the reservoir and down to Chestnut Hill, and gates for controlling access to local the distribution network. The building was taken out of service in the 1950s.[2]

The reservoir and gatehouse were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[1] In 2013, the town acquired the property from the state, and has since converted it into a public park, filling in the reservoir. The gatehouse survives, and there is interpretive signage explaining the historical use of the property.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "NRHP nomination for Fish Hill Reservoir and Gatehouse". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  3. ^ "Fisher Hill Reservoir Park". Town of Brookline. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
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Historic HAER photo