Around Town

New Historic Marker to be Unveiled, Celebrates Day That Watertown Welcomed a Key Figure in the Revolution

By |

A new historic marker celebrating the visit to Watertown by the Marquis de Lafayette in 1784 will will be unveiled on Sunday, April 19. The public is invited to the unveiling of the Lafayette Trail Revolutionary War Marker. The Lafayette Trail is partnering with the Historical Society of Watertown to host the event which will take place on the green-space triangle by the walking path next to the Halfway Café at 394 Main St., Watertown, on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 10 a.m.

The new marker was donated to the City of Watertown by The Lafayette Trail, Inc., with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. It is one of 170 markers on the Lafayette Trail, which stretches from West Point to Yorktown and from sites up and down the Mississippi River and Eastern seaboard commemorating Lafayette’s farewell visit 200 years ago, according to the Lafayette250.org website. During the Revolutionary War, the Frenchman served as a general in the Continental Army under George Washington.

Sports

Watertown Athlete Wins Titles on the Wrestling Mat and in the Boxing Ring

By |

Watertown’s Fahad Khan won his Golden Gloves boxing match in Lowell the same month he won a high school wrestling title. (Photo by James Thomas for the Lowell Sun)

Watertown’s Fahad Khan enjoyed a very successful winter, winning titles on the wrestling mat and in the boxing ring. The WHS senior competed on the Raiders wrestling team, with whom he won MIAA Div. 3 North Sectional championship in the 106 pound division in his second year of competition. He became the first wrestler in Watertown history to be a two time sectional champion.

Development

Draft Plan for Watertown Sq. Project Had 2 Options; Both Have Multi-Story Garage, 247 Housing Units & a Park

By |

A view of the area proposed to be redeveloped in Watertown Square, including the parking lot behind CVS, Baptist Walk, and some privately owned parcels. (City of Watertown)

Detailed plans for redeveloping Watertown’s Municipal Parking Lot in Watertown Square, behind CVS, are included in the City’s draft plan for the Demonstration Project. The 163-page document outlines two options, both of which include a multi-story parking garage, a multi-story residential building (both with retail on the ground floor), and a public green space. City Manager George Proakis gave an overview of the redevelopment of the lot, which would require buying or taking by eminent domain of several properties, at a packed meeting in the Watertown Free Public Library. The presentation did not include many details, however the draft plan includes a ream of information about the options, the cost, and the timeline.

Development

First Details of Redevelopment of Watertown Square Parking Lots Revealed, Including Garage & Residential Project

By |

Watertown City Manager George Proakis gave some details about a possible Demonstration Project on the Municipal Parking Lot in Watertown Square. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Monday night, the public got the first glimpse of a possible future for the parking lot behind CVS, the Armenian Museum of America and other businesses in Watertown Square, and it may include a multi-story garage built by the City and a residential building constructed by a private developer. City Manager George Proakis spoke to a packed room at the Watertown Free Public Library. He discussed a variety of topics, including how the Watertown Square planning got to Monday’s meeting, designing the new look intersection, and the main event: the Demonstration Project that would be built on the Municipal Parking Lot. Due to constraints, such as the City of Cambridge’s water supply line that runs under the parking lot, Proakis said the likely layout would be to put the garage on the area in back of the Armenian Museum of America.

Around Town

Watertown’s First Human Services Director Shaping New Department, New Home for Food Pantry

By |

Jenna Bancroft

Watertown’s first Human Services Director came to town after working for more than four years in Newton, but it was a homecoming of sorts. In her first several months on the job she has been in charge of not only establishing a brand new City department, but also creating a new home for the Watertown Food Pantry. In Newton, Bancroft served as the assistant director of Social Services, and became the director of that program. Those were her first jobs on the municipal side. Immediately prior to that she worked at the Wayside Multi-Services Center in Watertown, where she worked as a Social Services Resource Specialist (SSRS) for four years.

Around Town

Part of School Street to Close This Week for Construction

By |

The roadway and sidewalks along a section of School Street off Mt. Auburn Street will be closed this week during installation of drainage and other work as part of the Mt. Auburn Street Project. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown. Drainage Installation & Test Pits

Crews will continue drainage installation and excavate test pits on School Street between Mount Auburn Street and Adams Avenue.

Around Town

UPDATED: Watertown Representatives Help Mark 250th Anniversary of Important Event in American Revolution

By |

A replica of one of the cannons hauled from Ft. Ticonderoga, New York, to Boston, through Watertown, in 1776. (Photo by Marilynne Roach)

Marilynne Roach, president of the Historical Society of Watertown, and State Rep. Steve Owens recently joined the reenactment and commemoration of an event that helped turn the tide of the American Revolution. In February the anniversary of Henry Knox and his “Noble Train of Artillery,” when cannons were hauled from Lake Champlain in New York to Boston, was celebrated and Roach took part in parts of the nearby celebration. The commemoration started in Upstate New York in December.