The Refreshment Pavilion is a historic refreshment stand at

Houghton's Pond Houghton's Pond is a spring-fed kettle hole pond in Milton, Massachusetts, south of Boston. Like many ponds and lakes in the United States, it was formed by receding glaciers about 10,000 years ago. By the standard definition of lakes being bodies ...

in the

Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free ...

portion of

Blue Hills Reservation Blue Hills Reservation is a state park in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in the United States. Managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it covers parts of Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham. ...

, a

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

state park. Built in 1920, it is one of a series of architect-designed structures built in the park by the Metropolitan District Commission. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1980.

Description and history

The Refreshment Pavilion is located near the northern shore of

, a body of water in the southwestern part of the Blue Hills Reservation. It is set south of Hillside Street, the access road for the pond's beach area, which is located east of the pavilion. It is a single-story rectangular stone structure with a gable roof. Oculus windows are set in the gables, surrounded by louvered openings, and there are covered

pergola A pergola is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. ...

-like porches extending from some of its sides supported by slatted supporting columns. The Blue Hills are a range of hills located about south of downtown

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

. For many years they were largely undeveloped, and became a popular recreational destination by the late 19th century. The Metropolitan Parks Commission, created by the state to establish a network of parks and roadways around the Greater Boston area (and a predecessor to the MDC and today's

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission ...

, or DCR), formally acquired the reservation land in the early 1890s, but did no active development of amenities and infrastructure. By 1899, the need for roadways and other features was apparent, and the MDC hired the Boston firm

Stickney and Austin Stickney may refer to: Places * Stickney, Lincolnshire, England * Stickney, Illinois, United States * Stickney, Kansas, United States * Stickney, South Dakota, United States * Stickney, New Brunswick, Canada Surname * Alpheus Beede Stickney, A ...

to design structures for the reservation. Between 1899 and 1926 Stickney and Austin designed a number of structures, seven of which survive today. The Refreshment Pavilion at Houghton's Pond is one of these, exhibiting the use of high-quality materials and design sought by the firm and the MDC. It was built in 1920 on the site of the Ralph Houghton house which was built in 1690 and demolished in 1896 to make way for the development of the

. It was added to the

as ''Refreshment '' on September 25, 1980. It is still in use as a refreshment stand.

Gallery

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Buildings and structures completed in 1920 Buildings and structures in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Milton, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Milton, Massachusetts Restaurants established in 1920 Restaurants in Massachusetts Restaurants on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References