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mystery bridge

There's a path in The Fens that goes nowhere. More specifically, it would go from the corner of Clemente Field to the intersection of Louis Prang St & Fenway, if it were to cross over the water. It definitely used to cross; you can still see the old bridge supports:


Taken from the Fenway side of the river \<small>© 2020 Nick Aldwin\</small>
Taken from the Fenway side of the river © 2020 Nick Aldwin


I found a picture of what the bridge probably used to look like (I had hoped it was the actual bridge, but I'm pretty sure this is actually the bridge by the MFA, since replaced by a stone bridge):

1932 Leslie Jones, via BPL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6522208037/
1932 Leslie Jones, via BPL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6522208037/


I also found a couple of aerials from the '50s demonstrating the role of the bridge as a gateway to the Fens from the Isabella Stewart Gardner and Evans Way Park area:

Visible in the upper left-hand corner - 1950s Leslie Jones, via BPL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/8516699074/
Visible in the upper left-hand corner - 1950s Leslie Jones, via BPL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/8516699074/



Visible in the upper right - 1950s Nishan Bichajian, via MIT-Libraries: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mit-libraries/3384299183/
Visible in the upper right - 1950s Nishan Bichajian, via MIT-Libraries: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mit-libraries/3384299183/


Also, interestingly, a 1925 picture showing the area (and the early fields) before the bridge was constructed:

1925 Fairchild Aerial Surveys, via BPL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/5352846500/
1925 Fairchild Aerial Surveys, via BPL: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/5352846500/


I seem to recall reading something about multiple bridges burning down and only some being replaced with stone bridges, but I'm having trouble finding that article, so I'm not sure what happened to the bridge. The corps of engineers didn't rebuild it as part of the daylighting project a few years back, unfortunately.

Taken from the bridge location looking towards Park Drive / Clemente Field \<small>© 2020 Nick Aldwin\</small>
Taken from the bridge location looking towards Park Drive / Clemente Field © 2020 Nick Aldwin

Last update: June 16, 2020