Melrose Walks Maps:
Walking tours of three neighborhoods in Melrose, Massachusetts
The Melrose Historical Society printed walking maps of Melrose in 1996. Their mission is to preserve and celebrate the history of Melrose, and to promote a better understanding of local history in general.
It is our pleasure to reprise their Main Street and part of their Village maps in this virtual format for Melrose’s 175th Birthday Celebration on May 3, 2025.
Main street is the business and civic center of Melrose. Here we find City Hall, the Central Fire station, Memorial hall, the Baptist and Methodist churches, the YMCA, and four blocks of businesses, banks and restaurants.
The present street was laid out in 1806. As far back as the mid 17th century, there has been a road from Charlestown to Reading. It twisted and turned following the topography of the land and avoiding the marshy land south of Ell Pond. This was adequate in colonial times when much of the present day Melrose consisted of a dozen farms.
But in the decades following the Revolution, many new residents arrived. They were shoemakers, itinerant merchants, tradesmen, and innkeepers. The pace of commerce quickened. A new Main Street was needed.
Following the arrival of the Boston & Maine railroad in 1845, and the incorporation of Melrose as a separate town in 1850, a residential building boom occurred that produced many of the Victorian neighborhoods you see today. Main Street kept pace— to serve the needs of these new residents. A symbol of the town’s pride was the grand, second Empire style City Hall built and dedicated in 1874.
In 1870 a fire destroyed much of the block between Essex and Foster streets, the main business district. A number of the present buildings were built in the decade following the fire. Another fire in the steeple of the City Hall in 1937 caused the original tower to be truncated into its present size.
Main Street has seen many transformations. In the 1980s, the core business district was declared a historic district. Trees were planted, Victorian lanterns installed, and property owners were given incentives to restore the facades of their buildings. It is now the site of the annual Victorian fair. Truly, it is a Main Street we can be proud of.