Finance Committee - Agenda - 2/2/2022 - P104
Nashua — page 2
September 13, 2021
Project Understanding
The East Hollis & Bridge Street Intersection Improvement Project is located in the eastern edge of
Nashua, where Bridge Street/Route 111 and Ferry Street cross the Merrimack River to the town of
Hudson. The project’s Area of Potential Effects (APE) includes the lengths of East Hollis Street
and Bridge Street from the Belknap Street intersection in the west to the bridge abutments and edge
of the Merrimack River in the east, including the length of E Street and the approaches of the two
bridges.
The project area includes a mixture of industrial and residential structures. It was historically defined
by the Boston & Maine Railroad line that runs north-south along the western edge of the area.
Factories and industrial warehouses were active in the late 19th century to the north of Bridge Street
and to the south of East Hollis Street, along the rail lines. Nashua Junction passenger station (Union
Station) was located on the west side of the railroad, between these two streets. To the east, bridge
and ferry service connected Nashua to Hudson across the Merrimack River. The current bridges
were constructed in the early 1970s, and the crossing traffic pattern configuration was installed at
that time. Residential structures and several auto repair shops make up the majority of the
neighborhood between Bridge Street and East Hollis Street and south to Crown Street.
Preservation Company completed a Request for Project Review, RPR, in May of 2018. Following
a meeting with the consulting parties and NHDHR in November of 2018, NHDHR recommended
the preparation of a Historic District Area Form for the neighborhood around the Project Area.
Additionally. McFarland Johnson identified two properties where the frontage will be impacted by
the project: 41-43 Bridge Street and the former Maine Manufacturing Site. Though the impacts to
these properties will be minimal, two individual NHDHR Inventory Forms will be prepared for these
two properties. No other individual inventory forms will be completed. The two bridges and
approach park will not be surveyed per direction of NHDOT and the Historic /bridge Inventory.
Preservation Company initially prepared a proposal for this scope of work in November 2018
following NHDHR’s recommendations. The proposal fees were updated in May of 2020. This is
the second update for this scope of work.
Scope Of Work
Preservation Company will prepare a NHDHR Historic District Area Form. The Historic District
will cover the area east of the Boston & Maine Railroad extending to the Merrimack River, including
areas along the major roads of Bridge Street, East Hollis Street, and Crown Street, as well as the
smaller, residential streets in between: Belknap Street, C Street, D Street, E Street, Chase Street,
Hobbs Avenue, and Colburn Avenue. There are approximately 75 residential and commercial
buildings in the area. The district includes three extant former factory buildings and one large
warehouse building.
There are a number of factories and industrial buildings along the west side of the railroad, such as
ancillary railroad buildings and the Gas Works. Separate neighborhoods grew around and are
associated with these resources that are comparable to the neighborhood on the east side of the
railroad. Three such neighborhoods have been identified: the area around the former Nashua Gas
Light Company along Bridge Street and Union Street, with the side streets of Jackson Street, Van
Buren Street, Warren Street, and Robinson Street; the neighborhood south of Temple Street along
Howard Street and Worcester Street, Hoyts Lane and Shedds Avenue; and the neighborhood around
East Hollis Street, Crown Street and Arlington Street, with Denton Street, just on the west side of
