The Watertown Arsenal is a property that has had many lives. It is mostly known today as a shopping center but for 175 years it was a U.S. Army research facility responsible for some of the most critical innovations in military technology, many of which ended up in civilian use later. It started as an Army base for storing munitions after the War of 1812 but was used to make new kinds of artillery in the Civil War. The focus on artillery continued in the 20th century turning the base into a sprawling factory, making essential contributions to the war efforts throughout the decades. In its Cold War phase the research became focused on creating new materials. The site was host to a one-of-a-kind nuclear reactor in the 1960's. Its operations gradually wore down and the property has been sold off in pieces, most famously becoming a premier shopping mall in the 1980's. For a time this was a dead mall but has been reimagined as Arsenal Yards. The vast property is a patchwork of public parks, businesses, crumbling factory buildings, gardens, classic architecture and mysterious underground tunnels. Some of the land has been contaminated at various times by the research conducted at the Arsenal, some of which is still classified. Most of the Arsenal is open for exploration.

Please view the Blog for this episode at Lostmassachusetts.com to see sources, links, photos and more details.

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