Why Somerville
Somerville is a densely populated municipality situated in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, directly northwest of Boston and north of Cambridge. Spanning just over four square miles, it holds the distinction of being the most densely inhabited municipality in New England. The city is notably home to Tufts University, whose campus straddles the municipal border shared with neighboring Medford. Somerville was incorporated as a distinct town in 1842 following its separation from Charlestown, later becoming a city in 1872 and earning recognition through multiple All-America City Awards.
Before European colonization, the surrounding Mystic River watershed was inhabited by indigenous populations for thousands of years, extending back to the Archaic Period. By the seventeenth century, the area was stewarded by the Mystic Tribe of the Naumkeag people. English settlers formally acquired the land through deeds in the 1630s. Following initial European settlement in 1629, the land was managed as part of Charlestown and commonly referred to as being beyond the Neck. Early uses were largely agricultural, earning parts of the area the name Cow Commons, while prominent early holdings included Governor John Winthrop's expansive Ten Hills Farm.
The city features several sites deeply connected to the American Revolutionary War. In 1774, British troops seized military stores from the Old Powder House, a former windmill located at present-day Powder House Square, sparking widespread regional mobilization. During his famous 1775 midnight ride, Paul Revere traversed East Somerville, galloping up Broadway toward Winter Hill to evade pursuing officers. Revolutionary skirmishes also occurred near Union Square and the base of Prospect Hill. Throughout the nine-month Siege of Boston, Prospect Hill served as a key Continental Army fortification known as the Citadel, where the Continental Union Flag was raised in early 1776.
Following the Revolutionary War, Somerville transitioned from farmland toward an industrial and urbanized residential center. Historic thoroughfares played a central role in this growth, including Washington Street, Broadway, and Somerville Avenue, which previously served as a primary transit route for regional dairy farmers. The opening of the Middlesex Canal in 1803, alongside various turnpikes and the arrival of the Fitchburg Railroad in the early 1840s, fueled economic expansion. These transport links encouraged local brickmaking, quarrying, and residential development along the slopes of Spring and Prospect hills, culminating in the area's full independence from Charlestown.
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