Things to Do and Places to Visit in Somerville, Massachusetts

Prospect Hill Tower & Grand Union Flag Site

Completed in 1903 atop Prospect Hill, this rough‑hewn Quincy‑granite observatory commemorates the first hoisting of the Grand Union Flag ordered by General George Washington on January 1 1776. The cylindrical tower’s coursed‑ashlar masonry and crenellated parapet offer instructive examples of early‑20th‑century stone envelope work and mortar weathering patterns valuable to restoration contractors.

Phone: (617) 625‑6600

Old Powder House (Nathan Tufts Park)

Dating to circa 1704, this 30‑ft field‑stone tower is the oldest intact stone building in Massachusetts and once stored provincial gunpowder seized by British troops in 1774. Its conical geometry, rubblestone walls, and lime‑rich mortars provide a rare study in 18th‑century masonry and moisture migration.

Phone: (617) 625‑6600

Somerville City Hall (Former High School)

This brick and limestone Colonial‑Revival civic anchor (built 1852; enlarged 1896 & 1923) occupies Central Hill and embodies over 170 years of municipal service. Its gable‑roof massing, clock‑topped cupola, and multi‑campaign additions illustrate adaptive‑reuse challenges familiar to public‑sector designers.

Phone: (617) 625‑6600

Soldiers & Sailors Civil War Monument

Installed 1870 on Central Hill, this Quincy‑granite shaft honors 147 local men who fell in the Civil War. Carved wreaths, bronze plaques, and a 20‑ft obelisk atop stepped plinths demonstrate post‑war commemorative stone carving techniques and galvanic corrosion issues around bronze anchorage.

Phone: (617) 625‑6600 x4700

Central Library (Carnegie Branch)

Designed by Edward Tilton and opened 1914 with Carnegie funds, the Renaissance‑Revival library flaunts yellow‑brick facades, terra‑cotta ornament, and arched steel windows—excellent reference points for terra‑cotta repair and steel‑lintel rehab.

Phone: (617) 623‑5000

West Somerville Branch Library

Built 1909 with Classical‑Revival limestone detailing and monumental granite steps, this branch was Somerville’s first Carnegie offshoot. Its 2021 renovation showcases best‑practice envelope restoration and accessible entry re‑grading on compact urban sites.

Phone: (617) 623‑5000 x2975

Somerville Theatre (1914)

Housed in the Hobbs Building, this Beaux‑Arts brick and terra‑cotta entertainment palace has operated continuously since 1914. Recent interior and façade restorations balance historic plaster, marquee LED upgrades, and modern life‑safety retrofits—model case for mixed‑use rehab.

Phone: (617) 625‑5700

Somerville Armory (Arts at the Armory)

Originally the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia Armory (1903), this castellated brick complex now hosts a community arts venue. Thick masonry walls, engaged towers, and arched drill‑hall trusses highlight adaptive reuse solutions for large‑volume historic interiors.

Phone: (617) 718‑2191

Milk Row Cemetery & Civil War Monument

Established 1804, Milk Row is Somerville’s only pre‑20th‑century burial ground and hosts what is believed to be the nation’s first citizen‑funded Civil War memorial (1863). The granite obelisk and slate markers provide benchmarks for stone consolidation and biological‑growth mitigation.

Phone: (617) 625‑6600 x2532

Somerville Fire Headquarters (Engine 2 / Ladder 2)

Opened 1928 at 266 Broadway, this brick Georgian‑Revival firehouse integrates equipment bays with Ionic pilasters and limestone lintels. It demonstrates evolving apparatus clearances, floor‑slab reinforcement, and NFPA retrofit considerations in historic stations.

Phone: (617) 623‑1700

Somerville High School (2021 Rebuild; Historic Core 1852)

The new 396,000 sf campus wraps around the 1895 retaining wall and 1896 vocational block of the original Gothic‑influenced high school. Designers blended terra‑cotta restoration with high‑performance curtainwall, offering a roadmap for integrating heritage fabric into Net‑Zero‑ready assemblies.

Phone: (617) 629‑5250

The Round House (Enoch Robinson House)

Built 1856 by inventor Enoch Robinson, this 40‑ft‑diameter wood‑framed dwelling is an uncommon American example of Fowler‑inspired circular residential design. Its radial balloon‑frame and curved clapboards present unique siding‑replacement and moisture‑barrier challenges.

Charles Williams Jr. House

This 1858 Italianate residence hosted the world’s first residential telephone line (1877) linking inventor Charles Williams Jr.’s home to his Boston workshop. Bracketed eaves, cupola, and paneled pilasters showcase mid‑Victorian millwork ripe for selective epoxy repair.

Clifton Bacon House

One of Somerville’s finest Queen Anne/Shingle hybrids (1887), the Bacon House features fish‑scale shingles, turned balusters, and an offset corner tower—details that inform wood‑trim replication and paint‑film analysis for Victorian exteriors.

Martin W. Carr School (1898)

This H‑shaped Colonial/Renaissance Revival school by local architect Aaron Gould now houses 20 loft‑style condos. Restoration retained triple‑hung wood windows and pressed‑metal cornices—useful precedents for school‑to‑housing conversions.

First Universalist Church / Highland Masonic Building

Ralph Adams Cram’s 1916 Romanesque design features rugged granite, round‑arched openings, and a barrel‑vaulted interior now home to King Solomon’s Lodge. Stone restoration efforts here highlight mortar‑compatibility testing and discreet repointing.

Phone: (617) 776‑0044

Somerville Museum (1927)

Occupying a 1927 brick Georgian‑Revival former public library, the community‑run museum offers case studies in slate‑roof repair, steel‑sash window restoration, and ADA lift retrofits within historic envelopes.

Phone: (617) 666‑9810

Mystic Water Works (1864 Pump Station)

This Italianate granite pumping station once supplied Boston’s water and was recently converted into senior housing. The project preserved load‑bearing ashlar walls and cast‑iron interior columns—demonstrating heavy‑infrastructure reuse with modern MEP routing.

Phone: (617) 616‑5109

United States Post Office – Somerville Main (1935)

Built by the Public Works Administration in sophisticated Colonial‑Revival style, the former post office features Flemish‑bond brickwork, limestone entablatures, and an interior WPA mural. The currently repurposed shell demonstrates challenges of upgrading envelope performance while preserving Depression‑era artistry.

Walter S. & Melissa E. Barnes House

This richly ornamented Queen Anne/Stick‑Style residence (c. 1885) at 140 Highland Ave. retains original clapboards, patterned shingle‑work, and a wraparound porch—ideal reference for craftsmen tackling late‑Victorian wood restoration.