7. Roads, Rails, & Bridges

Damon Mill was situated at a vital intersection in Concord's transportation web at the intersection of Main Street and Pond Lane, along the Assabet River and relatively close to the railroad. Though Pond Lane is no longer a significant thoroughfare, it was, at the time, part of the original 1654 road from Concord to Lancaster. The section of Old Stow Road near the mill was supplanted in 1842 by a newly laid-out extension of Main Street that provided access as far as the Acton town line. That same year, the first substantial bridge over the Assabet River was also built, and in 1844, the Fitchburg Railroad was completed. The Factory Village station was located at the Conant Street crossing. 

The growth and expansion of Damon Mill led to the development of the surrounding neighborhood. This necessitated improvements in the area's transportation infrastructure. Factory Village was outgrowing the small roads, paths, and incomplete arteries that had characterized its early days. As the mill grew and West Concord increased in population, the need for more sophisticated transportation became apparent. 

This photograph from Concord’s 1921 printed town report shows the concrete Westvale Bridge, constructed in 1901 on the Assabet River at the Damon Mill. The bridge that earlier stood on the site was known as Damondale Bridge.