Readville, Massachusetts

Readville, Massachusetts. Readville is a neighborhood located in the Hyde Park area of the city of Boston, within Norfolk County. Historically a distinct village, it was annexed by the city of Boston in 1868 and is now primarily a residential area. The neighborhood is historically significant for its substantial role in Civil War training and its importance as a major railroad junction in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

History

The area was originally part of the town of Dedham and was known as the Low Plains before being renamed for local landowner John Read. Its development accelerated with the arrival of the Boston and Providence Railroad in the 1830s, which established a critical junction and repair shops there. During the American Civil War, the Camp Meigs training ground was established in Readville, where regiments such as the 54th Massachusetts and the 55th Massachusetts volunteer infantry regiments were organized and trained. The neighborhood later became a center for early automobile manufacturing, hosting the factory of the Metz Company. The extensive railroad yards and roundhouse, which served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, were a dominant feature until their decline in the mid-20th century.

Geography

Readville is situated in the southernmost part of Boston, bordered by the Neponset River to the east, which separates it from the town of Milton. The neighborhood's terrain is relatively flat, a characteristic of the former low plains, with the Blue Hills Reservation lying to the immediate south. Its boundaries are generally considered to be the river to the east, the Fairmount Line commuter rail tracks to the north, and the Dedham town line to the west and south. This location places it at a confluence of major transportation routes, including Interstate 93 and the Southwest Corridor.

Demographics

As a neighborhood within Hyde Park, Readville shares its demographic data with the larger planning district. The area is characterized by a mix of single-family homes, two- and three-family dwellings, and some multi-unit apartment buildings. The population is diverse, with significant communities of Irish, Italian, Polish, African American, and more recent Latin American and West Indian descent. Socioeconomically, it is a predominantly middle-class area, with homeownership rates typical of Boston's outer neighborhoods.

Transportation

Transportation has historically defined Readville, beginning with the Boston and Providence Railroad. Today, it is served by the Readville station on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Franklin/Foxboro Line and Providence/Stoughton Line. The neighborhood is also adjacent to the Fairmount Line and is a short distance from the Hyde Park station. Major roadways include Interstate 93 (which passes just to the west), Route 128, and American Legion Highway. Several MBTA bus routes connect Readville to Hyde Park center, Forest Hills station, and other parts of Boston.

Notable people

Notable individuals associated with Readville include Civil War officer and Medal of Honor recipient Robert Gould Shaw, who trained troops at Camp Meigs. Charles Eliot, the pioneering landscape architect who designed parts of the Boston Metropolitan Park System and the Arnold Arboretum, lived in the area. John L. Sullivan, the famed heavyweight boxing champion known as the "Boston Strong Boy," maintained a training farm in Readville. Early 20th-century industrialist Charles Herman Metz, founder of the Metz Company automobile manufacturer, operated his factory in the neighborhood.

Category:Neighborhoods in Boston Category:Norfolk County, Massachusetts