place

Readville Race Track

Defunct horse racing venues in MassachusettsFormer buildings and structures in BostonHyde Park, BostonMotorsport venues in MassachusettsSports venues in Boston
Readville Trotting Track Circa 1900
Readville Trotting Track Circa 1900

The Readville Race Track located in Readville, Massachusetts had a famous and exciting history for Harness Racing, Motorcycle Racing, Auto Racing and early military combat Aviation. When the track officially opened on August 25, 1896, it quickly became one of the premier venues for harness racing in the United States. It was known as one of the country's fastest courses and many records were broken there. In 1903 history was made at Readville when a five-year-old mare named Lou Dillon became the first trotter to run a two-minute mile. On August 25, 1908 the most spectacular event in all harness horse history was staged, the $50,000 American Trotting Derby won by Allan Winter.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Readville Race Track (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Readville Race Track
Meadow Road, Boston Hyde Park

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Readville Race TrackContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.229686111111 ° E -71.133875 °
placeShow on map

Address

Meadow Road 100
02136 Boston, Hyde Park
Massachusetts, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Readville Trotting Track Circa 1900
Readville Trotting Track Circa 1900
Share experience

Nearby Places

Camp Meigs
Camp Meigs

Camp Meigs is a former American Civil War training camp that existed from 1862 to 1865 in Readville, Massachusetts. It was combined from the former Camp Brigham (formed to train the 18th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry) and Camp Massasoit (formed to train the 24th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry) and trained the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, among others. The 54th regiment was one of the first official African-American units in the United States during the Civil War. The former camps were merged into Camp Meigs in August 1862.Other units that trained there include the 11th, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, 55th, 56th, 58th, 59th, 60th and 62nd regiments of infantry; the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th regiments of cavalry; the 2nd regiment of heavy artillery; and the 5th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 16th batteries of light artillery. The 6th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 26th Unattached Companies Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were also at the camp during the war. It was the busiest training camp in Massachusetts.In 1869, the land was obtained by the Norfolk Agricultural Association, improved upon, and ultimately became the Readville Race Track. On December 12, 1915, the newly formed Sturtevant Aeroplane Company tested its new A-3 Battleplane prototype on the Readville field, becoming the first American airplane engineered specifically for air combat. The A-3 was designed by Grover C. Loening, most recently the Army’s aeronautical engineer at San Diego and hired by Sturtevant. The Battleplane featured a water-cooled 140 hp Sturtevant V-8 engine with two removable 8-foot × 2.5-foot nacelles positioned mid-wing for machine gunners to fire outside the propeller arc. The test flight was piloted by Lt. Byron Jones. By World War II, the site was largely abandoned, although U.S. Navy pilots from Squantum Naval Air Station flying their Stearman biplanes would practice "touch and go" landings on the remnants of the old oval track.

Readville station
Readville station

Readville station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station located in the Readville section of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line. Readville is the outer terminus for most Fairmount service, though some trips continue as Franklin/Foxboro Line trains. The station is located at a multi-level junction, with the Northeast Corridor tracks at ground level and the Dorchester Branch (used by the Fairmount Line) above; Franklin/Foxboro Line trains use a connecting track with a separate platform. Platforms are available for the Providence/Stoughton Line on the Northeast Corridor tracks, but they are not regularly used. An MBTA maintenance and storage yard and a CSX Transportation freight yard are located near the station. Passenger service to Dedham Low Plain began in 1834 with the Boston and Providence Railroad (B&P). A branch line to Dedham was built in 1835, and the neighborhood and station were renamed Readville in 1847. The Boston and New York Central Railroad opened its Midland Branch (Dorchester Branch) through Readville in 1855, crossing over the B&P. Its station there was originally named Blue Hill, but later renamed Readville as well. Both railroads were consolidated under the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in the 1890s. The New Haven built a two-level union station at Readville as part of an 1897–98 grade separation project, then constructed its Readville Shops car repair facility just to the west in 1900–03. Dorchester Branch service ended in 1944, and Dedham Branch service in 1967 when the newly formed MBTA ended its subsidies. Dorchester Branch service returned in 1979 as a Southwest Corridor construction bypass and became permanent as the Fairmount Line in 1987. The disused station building burned in a suspicious fire in 1983. The MBTA built accessible platforms and a footbridge in 1990–92. Readville 5-Yard, the former location of the 1958-closed Readville Shops, underwent decontamination in 2011–12 for reuse to allow construction of an industrial and office development.

Readville, Boston
Readville, Boston

Readville is part of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston. Readville's ZIP Code is 02136. It was called Dedham Low Plains from 1655 until it was renamed after the mill owner James Read in 1847. It was part of Dedham until 1867. It is served by Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail. It is on the original alignment of Route 128, later part of a since-discontinued section of Route 135. Readville is bordered by the Town of Milton to the south and the Town of Dedham to the west. Paul's Bridge, which is at the neighborhood's entrance as one approaches Milton, is one of the oldest bridges in the Commonwealth. The name comes from James Read, a resident and cotton mill owner. Readville is covered by Boston Police Department District E-18 in Hyde Park and a fire station on Neponset Valley Parkway houses Boston Engine Company 49. Readville is also home to several light industries. Readville was home to Camp Meigs during the American Civil War, a training camp for Union soldiers, including those of the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry, portrayed in the film Glory. Another notable regiment that trained at Camp Meigs was the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry, half of which was recruited in California and sent by sea to Readville for training before being sent to Virginia to the war. There are plaques and small monuments commemorating this history at what is now called Meigs Field. Also established in 1861 was Camp Massasoit.The neighborhood was an Irish-American and Italian-American stronghold through much of the 20th century but is now home to many African-American and Hispanic and Latino residents. The Blue Hill Community Church is a non-denominational church founded in 1888. At BHCC, Phillips Brooks preached his last sermon and his Christmas Carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" had its first performance. Samuel Francis Smith first read his poem "America" at BHCC; it was later set to music and became known as "My Country Tis of Thee." St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church serves as the local parish. Former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts State Representative Angelo Scaccia are both longtime Readville residents. In the early part of the 20th century, a prominent harness racing facility called Readville Trotting Park was located in the neighborhood. That property later became a Stop & Shop warehouse and distribution center and is now a multi-use warehouse property. Readville has excellent views of Great Blue Hill and the Blue Hills Reservation and has a wetlands area known as Fowl Meadow. The Neponset River is another natural feature. Readville was also home to the massive New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Locomotive and Car Shops, which closed in 1960. Today, the CSX Railroad operates a portion of the Readville Freight Yard along Prescott Street .The MBTA Commuter Rail has a passenger car facility for light maintenance and servicing just outside Wolcott Square. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor runs through Readville on trackage shared with MBTA Commuter and CSX freight operations.

Paul's Bridge
Paul's Bridge

Paul's Bridge is a stone bridge carrying the Neponset Valley Parkway over the Neponset River between Milton and southern Boston, Massachusetts. It was built in 1849 by Thomas Hollis, Jr., of Milton, but was later reconstructed using the original materials. It replaced the earlier Hubbard's Bridge (built prior to 1759), and a subsequent Paul's Bridge (so named at its 1807 reconstruction). Its current span is approximately 88 feet (27 m). The name "Paul" can be attributed to Samuel Paul, the owner of the adjacent land on the Readville (now Boston) side, which was part of Dedham at the time of the bridge's construction.The 1849 bridge was 81 feet (25 m) long and 22 feet (6.7 m) wide, and was constructed of unmortared Quincy granite. Each round arch measures 20 feet (6.1 m) at the springline. The area between the arches is uncoursed rubblestone, and the arches are formed out of cut granite voussoirs. The bridge underwent a major rebuilding between 1932 and 1935 under the leadership of Arthur A. Shurcliff, FASLA and founder of the AIP, who made it a priority to widen the bridge. Most of the original stone was reused and solid stone parapets replaced the wooden siderails. Instead of a rubblestone finish between the arches on the extended side, it is finished in coursed stone.Paul's Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and contributes to a historic district encompassing the Neponset River Parkway. It is located within the Neponset River Reservation, and is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.