The Charles River Speedway was a former bicycle and harness racing track located in Allston, Massachusetts, which has been redeveloped into an upscale market.
The Charles River Speedway was a former bicycle and harness racing track located in Allston, Massachusetts, which has been redeveloped into an upscale market.
The speedway itself was constructed in 1899 along the Charles River. It began around Market and Arsenal Street and extended all the way to the Harvard Stadium. It was designed by a firm co-founded by Frederick Law Olmsted. [1] [2]
One of the functions of the speedway was to move the racing of horses and other pleasurable activities off of Brighton Road (now Commonwealth Avenue) west of Kenmore Square and Beacon Street in Brookline. As traffic on the roads increased, it became necessary to build the speedway. [1]
Amenities to the facility included a bicycle racing course, a 1 mile (1.6 km) long race course, a 1.75 miles (2.82 km) driveway, and use of the original Soldiers Field Road. At some point, the track was shortened to an oval around where the center of the original track now stands and use ended in the 1960s. [1]
One of the bigger events at the speedway occurred on October 13, 1930 when a new course speed record was set. After seven hours of competition, which was viewed by thousands of spectators, a time of 2:05.5 was set for the 1 mile (1.6 km) race. The horse team was driven by a Mr. Grattan, the pacer of Mrs. Charles F. Adams. [3]
Only the superintendent's building (Charles River Reservation (Speedway)-Upper Basin Headquarters) is left. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building itself was even listed on the National Register of Historic Places featured properties and districts list on July 30, 2010. Additionally, it was listed on July 19 of that year. At some point, and by 1941, the building itself was turned into a police substation for the Boston Police Department.
In 2021, the site was redeveloped as an upscale marketplace and community gathering spot, including a microbrewery. [4] [5]
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Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton. The two are often referred to together as Allston–Brighton. Boston Police Department District D-14 covers the Allston-Brighton area and a Boston Fire Department Allston station is located in Union Square which houses Engine 41 and Ladder 14. Engine 41 is nicknamed "The Bull" to commemorate the historic stockyards of Allston.
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Beacon Park Yard was a CSX Transportation rail yard in Allston, Boston, now owned by Harvard University. The yard opened in 1890 on the site of a former trotting park, from which it took its name. It was closed in 2013 following the relocation of the yard's container operations to Worcester, Massachusetts and opening of a transload facility in Westborough, Massachusetts. Plans for the yard include relocation of the Massachusetts Turnpike Allston exit, construction of a new MBTA commuter rail station and layover yard, and a major real estate development.
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