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Streets

If you know the origin of a Burlington street name, your wisdom is appreciated. Some are obvious topographical references and aren’t worth pursuing (Rocky Hill etc.) And some have obvious historical roots (Winn). It’s the myriad other names that need clarification (Winona, Van Norden etc.). Please email the information to BurlingtonRetro@gmail.com.

 

Ainsworth St

Ainsworth Street, Burlington MA

Alcine Ln

Alcine Lane, Burlington MA

Algonquin Dr

Algonquin Drive, Burlington MA

Allison Dr

Allison Drive, Burlington MA

Alma Rd — Alma Bird, president of the town’s American Legion Auxiliary organization in the 1950s and 60s. Her husband was Benjamin Bird. This was one the first streets built with an organized house numbering system that we take for granted now. The first nine fully-numbered streets: Florence Road, Crawford Road, Sylvester Road, Frances Road, Foster Road, Bradford Road, Luther Road, Alma Road and Sunset Drive.

Alma Road, Burlington MA

Amherst Rd — Part of a college-themed neighborhood including Dartmouth, Princeton and University.

Amherst Rd. Burlington MA

Angela Cir — Angela Ruping, daughter of developer Hubert Ruping and current Locust Street resident.

Angela Circle, Burlington MA

Anna Rd

Anna Road, Burlington MA

Arbor Court

Arbor Court, Burlington MA

Arboretum Way

Arboretum Way, Burlington MA

Arborwood Dr

Arborwood Drive, Burlington MA

Ardmore Ave — Became a public way in 1940.

Ardmore Ave Burlington MA

Arlington Rd — The entire high school driveway was Arlington Road before the high school existed. Turning back the clock even more, it was actually a section of Cambridge Street. But that section was too curvy, so the state highway department created the straighter section we know today, leaving Arlington Road as a separate roadway. In sum, it’s called Arlington Road because it was once a section of the main road to Arlington (and Cambridge).

Arlington Road, Burlington MA

Arnold Ter

Arnold Terrace, Burlington MA

Arthur Woods Ave

Arthur Woods Ave. Burlington MA

Austin St

Austin St. Burlington MA

Azalea Dr

Azalea Dr. Burlington MA

B

Barbara Cir — Daughter of builder Joe Roberto.

Barbara Circle, Burlington MA

Barnum Rd — David Barnum owned a mill building on Mill Street not far from the current Barnum Road, just a short walk behind Fox Hill Elementary School.

Barnum Rd. Burlington MA

Baron Park Ln

Baron Park Lane, Burlington MA

Bassett Ave — James N. and Dorothy E. Bassett owned property in the area before Route 128 arrived.

Bassett Ave. Burlington MA

Bates St

Bates St. Burlington MA

Baxter Cir

Baxter Circle Burlington MA

Beacon St — Was originally a driveway to Crawford Farm (now Beacon Village) and ended there. More here.

Beacon Street, Burlington MA

Beaverbrook Rd

Beaverbrook Road, Burlington MA

Bedford St

Bedford St. Burlington MA

Belmont Rd — Frank and Joanne Riccardi at 5 Belmont Rd. were the first homeowners on the street. They hailed from Belmont, MA.

Belmont Rd. Burlington MA

Bennett Ln — The Bennett family traces back to the first days of Burlington and claimed big chunks of town, including Bennett Hill (Center Street). Alas, the name survives only in the form of this tiny road.

Bannett Lane, Burlington MA

Benson Way — Arthur E. Benson, the property owner until his death in 1998.

Benson Way, Burlington MABenson Way, Burlington MA

Bethel Ln

Bethel Ln Burlington MA

Birch St

Birch St. Burlington MA

Birchcrest St

Birchcrest St. Burlington MA

Blackhorse Ln

Blackhorse Ln, Burlington MA

Blanchard Rd — David Blanchard built a house there for his bride, but the marriage never happened. Before 1900, this was informally known as Babylon Road.

Blanchard Rd. Burlington MA

Blueberry Ln

Blueberry Lane, Burlington MA

Boulder Dr

Boulder Drive, Burlington MA

Bradford Rd — This was one the first streets built with an organized house numbering system that we take for granted now. The first nine fully-numbered streets: Florence Road, Crawford Road, Sylvester Road, Frances Road, Foster Road, Bradford Road, Luther Road, Alma Road and Sunset Drive.

Bradford Rd, Burlington MA

Brantwood Ln

Brantwood Lane Burlington MA

Brenda Ln 

Brenda Ln Burlington MA

Briarwood Ln

Briarwood Lane, Burlington MA

Bristol St

Bristol St. Burlington MA

Brookfield Rd 

Brookfield Rd. Burlington MA

Brookside Ln

Brookside Ln. Burlington MA

Brown Ave — Roger and Melissa Brown of Lexington Street. Their driveway is now Brown Ave. and their (renovated) house is now 3 Brown Ave.

Brown Ave. Burlington MA

Bruce St

Bruce St. Burlington MABruce St. Burlington MA

Buckman Dr

Buckman Dr. Burlington MA

Burlington Mall Rd — Opened November, 1968 as a single-purpose shortcut from Cambridge St. to the three-month-old Burlington Mall.

Burlington Mall Rd. Burlington MA

Burlington St

Burlington St. Burlington MA

Burton Rd — Burton Blake, who built 5 and 9 Peach Orchard Road and lived in both houses at different times. He drew up the plans for Burton Road, and his brothers built the houses.

Burton Rd. Burlington MA

Butters Ln — James Butters lived nearby in a large house at the corner of Cambridge Street and what is now Terry Ave.

Butters Ln. Burlington MA

 


C

Cambridge St — Road to Cambridge. Older residents still call it State Road or even the “state highway.” It was indeed considered the highway before Route 128 arrived in the early 1950s.

Cambridge St. Burlington MA

Carey Ave

Carey Ave. Burlington MA

Carlton Ave

Carlton Ave. Burlington MA

Carol Ave — Carol Murray, part of the Murray family of developers.

Carol Ave. Burlington MA

Caroline St

Caroline St. Burlington MA

Carter Rd — James, Jonas, Joshua, Samuel and William Carter were among the first residents of Burlington when it incorporated in 1799. The area was originally known as Carter Row. Another Carter, Benjamin, owned a house near the other end of Wilmington Road. He sold it to the Busteads, who used it as home base for their dairy business. More here.

Carter Rd. Burlington MA

Cathy Rd

Cathy Rd. Burlington MA

Cedar St

Cedar St. Burlington MA

Cedarwood Ln

Cedarwood Ln. Burlington MA

Center St

Center St. Burlington MA

Central Ave

Central Ave. Burlington MA

Chadwick Rd

Chadwick Rd. Burlington MA

Chandler Rd — Clyde Roy Chandler and Doris (Perkins) Chandler raised a family in what is now 7 Ellery Lane, when Ellery Lane was merely their unpaved driveway from Chandler Rd. Three Chandler family members were Burlington school teachers in the late 1920s: Madeline, Marguerite and Madeline. The family sold to J. Ellery French. The French family later subdivided the area into today’s Ellery Lane and RedCoat Lane.

Chandler Rd. Burlington MA

Cheryl Ave — Part of a neighborhood originally dubbed “Sherwood Forest” by its developer. A nearby road is named Robin Hood Lane.

Cheryl Ave. Burlington MA

Chestnut Ave

Chestnut Ave. Burlington MA

Chestnut Rd

Chestnut Rd. Burlington MA

Church Ln — Leads to the United Church of Christ near Simonds Park. That church represented a split from a larger Woburn parish and marked the beginning of Burlington itself.

Church Ln. Burlington MA

Cierra Way

Cierra Way Burlington MA

Clifford Rd

Clifford Rd. Burlington MA

Clonmel Ave

Clomnel Ave. Burlington MA

Colburn St

Colburn St. Burlington MA

Colleen Cir

Colleen Circle, Burlington MA

College Rd

College Rd. Burlington MA

Cook Rd

Cook Rd. Burlington MA

Corbett Dr — Builder and firefighter Tom Corbett.

Corbett Drive. Burlington MA

Corcoran Rd — Francis A. Corcoran, homebuilder. He built homes on Garrity Road and Crowley Road also.

Corcoran Rd. Burlington MA

Cormier Rd — Aurele Cormier, developer.

Cormier Rd. Burlington MA

County Rd

County Rd. Burlington MA

Cranberry Ln — Borders the Vine Brook wetlands, which used to be a cranberry bog.

Cranberry Lane Burlington MA

Crawford Rd — Before Route 128 arrived, Crawford Farm stretched from what is now Beacon Village to the area of Winnmere containing Crawford Rd. More here. This was one the first streets built with an organized house numbering system that we take for granted now. The first nine fully-numbered streets: Florence Road, Crawford Road, Sylvester Road, Frances Road, Foster Road, Bradford Road, Luther Road, Alma Road and Sunset Drive.

Crawford Rd. Burlington MA

Crescent Rd

Crawford Rd. Burlington MA

Cresthaven Dr

Cresthaven Drive Burlington MA

Creston Ave

Creston Ave. Burlington MA

Crowley Road — Margaret Theresa Crowley Corcoran, wife of builder Francis A. Corcoran, who built many homes on Corcoran, Garrity and Crowley.

Crowley Rd. Burlington MA

Crystal Cir

Crystal Circle Burlington MA

Cutting Ln

Cutting Lane, Burlington MA

 


D

Dale St

Dale St. Burlington MA

Daniel Dr — Son of developer Jon Graham, a prolific builder along the Middlesex Turnpike area.

Daniel Drive, Burlington MA

Dartmouth Rd — Part of a college-themed neighborhood including Amherst, Princeton and University.

Dartmouth Rd. Burlington MA

Davida Rd — Daughter of Burlington developer Jack Moss.

Davida Road (Nelson Rd.) Burlington MA

Dearborn Rd — Charles Dearborn, an active figure in town, lived near the common, just downhill from the fire station.

Dearborn Rd. Burlington MA

Demone Dr — Developed by the Demone brothers (concrete forms business).

Demone Dr. Burlington MA

Dennis Dr

Dennis Drive, Burlington MA

Derryfield Ave

Derryfield Ave. Burlington MA

Dolores Dr

Dolores Ave. Burlington MA

Donald Rd

Donald Rd. Burlington MA

Donna Ln

Donna Lane, Burlington MA

Doris St

Doris St. Burlington MA

Dorothy Rd

Dorothy Rd. Burlington MA

Douglas Ave

Douglas Ave. Burlington MA

Dover Dr

Dover Drive, Burlington MA

Drake Rd

Drake Rd. Burlington MA

Druid Hill Ave

Druid Hill Ave. Burlington MA

Dublin Cir

Dublin Circle Burlington MA

Duncan Rd

Duncan Rd. Burlington MA

Dunlap St

Dunlap St. Burlington MA

E

Eastern Ave

Eastern Ave. Burlington MA

Edgemere Ave

Edgemere Ave. Burlington MA

Edgemont Ave

Edgemont Ave. Burlington MA

Edsel Dr

Edsel Drive, Burlington MA

Edwards Rd — Edward Terrio, son of Paul Terrio, who owned Burlington Motor Mart and lived in the house that is now the VFW Post, when the house was located on Cambridge Street.

Edwards Road, Burlington MA

Eisenhower Dr

Eisenhower Dr. Burlington MA

Elizabeth Ave

Elizabeth Ave. Burlington MA

Ellen Rd

Ellen Rd. Burlington MA

Ellery Ln — J. Ellery French, 7 Ellery Lane, a journeyman printer with his own shop near the house. The house is still there.

Ellery Lane Burlingon MA

Elm Ave

Elm Ave. Burlington MA

Erin Lane

Erin Lane, Burlington MA

Eugene Rd

Eugene Rd. Burlington MA

Evelyn St

Evelyn St. Burlington MA

Evergreen Ave

Evergreen Ave. Burlington MA

F

Fairfax St — Became a public way in 1940.

Fairfax St. Burlington MA

Fairlawn Ave

Fairlawn Ave. Burlington MA

Fantasia Lane

Screen Shot 2019-05-26 at 7.40.40 AM

Farms Dr 

Farms Drive Burlington MA

Fernglade Rd

Screen Shot 2019-05-26 at 7.42.40 AM

Fieldstone Dr

Fieldstone Drive Burlington MA

Florence Rd — Florence Sylvester, daughter of Antonio Sylvester, who had a gas station at the corner of Winn Street and Mountain Road. Frances Road is named after her sister. This was one the first streets built with an organized house numbering system that we take for granted now. The first nine fully-numbered streets: Florence Road, Crawford Road, Sylvester Road, Frances Road, Foster Road, Bradford Road, Luther Road, Alma Road and Sunset Drive.

Florence Rd. Burlington MA

Forbes Ave — Douglas P. Forbes, civil engineer and planning board member in the late 1950s. His company was Northeastern Engineering Associates.

Forbes Ave. Burlington MA

Forest Rd

Forest Rd. Burlington MAForest Rd. Burlington MA

Foster Rd — This was one the first streets built with an organized house numbering system that we take for granted now. The first nine fully-numbered streets: Florence Road, Crawford Road, Sylvester Road, Frances Road, Foster Road, Bradford Road, Luther Road, Alma Road and Sunset Drive.

Foster Rd. Burlington MA

Four Acre Dr

Four Acre Drive Burlington MA

Fowler Ter

Fowler Terrace Burlington MA

Fox Hill Rd

Fox Hill Rd. Burlington MA

Frances Rd — Frances Sylvester, daughter of Antonio Sylvester, who owned a gas station at the corner of Mountain Road and Winn Street. The family is also the namesake of Sylvester Road and Florence Road. This was one the first streets built with an organized house numbering system that we take for granted now. The first nine fully-numbered streets: Florence Road, Crawford Road, Sylvester Road, Frances Road, Foster Road, Bradford Road, Luther Road, Alma Road and Sunset Drive.

Frances Rd. Burlington MA

Francis Wyman Rd — John and Francis Wyman were brothers whose land grant covered a thousand acres and extended into Billerica. This back in the 1600s, when the name Burlington didn’t exist. It was merely the Shawshin area of Woburn, and Woburn was merely one section of Charlestown Village.

Francis Wyman Rd. Burlington MA

Fred St — Fred Graham, part of the Graham family that farmed the area before it became residential.

Fred St. Burlington MA

Freeport Dr

Freeport Drive Burlington MA

Frothingham Rd — Nathaniel Frothingham, a prominent Boston minister, lived on the other side of Lexington Street in the mansion that is now 3 Theresa Ave. More here.

Frothingham Rd. Burlington MA

G

Ganley Dr — Bertha Ganley, matriarch of the Ganley family. More here.

Ganley Drive Burlington MA

Gardner Way — Alfred and Mary Gardner, farmers. The area became Pine Glen Elementary School and the surrounding subdivisions including Cutting Lane.

Gardner Way Burlington MA

Garrity Rd — Bridgett Delia Garrity Corcoran, mother of builder Francis A. Corcoran, who was responsible for many homes on Garrity, Corcoran and Crowley.

Garrity Rd. Burlington MA

Gayland St

Gayland St Burlington MA

Gedick Rd — Paul Donald Gedick and family, who settled in the area. He founded Gedick Brothers Plumbing and Heating, which is now run by his sons, Don and Paul.

Gedick Rd. Burlington MA

Georgia Dr

Georgia Drive, Burlington MA

Gibson St

Gibson St. Burlington MA

Gidley St

Gidley St. Burlington MA

Given Dr — Bob Given, a Wyman Street farmer in the early 1900s. His son Ron runs Burlington Landscaping at 21 Wyman Street. Late 1940s neighborhood aerial shot here.

Screen Shot 2019-05-26 at 8.31.08 AM

Gleason Rd

Gleason Rd. Burlington MA

Glen Ave

Glen Ave. Burlington MA

Glendale Rd

Glendale Rd. Burlington MA

Glenwood St

Glenwood St. Burlington MAGlenwood St. Burlington MA

Gloria Cir

Gloria Circle Burlington MA

Goodwin Dr

Goodwin Drive, Burlington MA

Grandview Ave

Grandview Ave. Burlington MA

Great Meadow Rd — The home to three imposing communication towers once used by ULAW (Lowell) and now WRKO (Boston). Part of this wetland was a cranberry bog before 1900.

Meadow Rd. Burlington MA

Great Pines Ave

Great Pines Ave. Burlington MA

Greenleaf Way

Greenleaf Way, Burlington MA

Greenwood Rd

Greenwood Rd. Burlington MA

Greystone Ct

Greystone Ct. Burlington MA

Grove Ln

Grove Lane, Burlington MA

Guild Rd

Guild Rd. Burlington MA

H

Hallmark Gardens

Hallmark Gardens Burlington MA

Hampden Ave

Hampden Ave. Burlington MA

Hancock St

Hancock St. Burlington MA

Hannah Way

Hannah Way Burlington MA

Hansen Ave

Hansen Ave. Burlington MA

Harriett Ave

Harriett Ave. Burlington MA

Harris Dr

Harris Drive Burlington MA

Hart St

Hart St. Burlington MAHart St. Burlington MA

Harvard Ave — Named after Harvard University because the developer, local attorney Jack Moss, was educated there. Across Wilmington Road, he named Moss Street after himself and Jonathan Road after his son.

Harvard Ave. Burlington MA

Haven Terr — A small street, but a big name. The junction of Francis Wyman Road and Bedford Street was the nucleus of a busy area called Havenville. In the early 1800s it had a shoe shop called Pancake of Shoddy Shop, run by Charles Haven. A century later, Jonas Clark Haven had a store there, one of only two stores in the entire town at the turn of the 20th century. The other was on Center Street.

Haven Terrace Burlington MA

Hearthstone Dr

Hearthstone Terrace Burlington MA

Heather Dr

Heather Drive, Burlington MA

Hemlock Ln

Hemlock Ln. Burlington MA

Heritage Way — Used to be part of Ray Avenue until it was dead-ended near the Ice Palace to prevent shortcuts to Burlington Street. Neighbors chose the new name due to the American bicentennial spirit at the time.

Heritage Way, Burlington MA

Hershey Rd

Hershey Rd. Burlington MA

Hickory Ln

Hickory Ln. Burlington MA

Hidden Valley Dr

Hidden Valley Drive Burlington MA

High Pine Ave

HIgh Pine Ave. Burlington MA

Highland Way

Highland Way, Burlington MA

Hill Cir

Hill Circle Burlington MA

Hillcrest Rd

Hillcrest Rd. Burlington MA

Hillsdale Ave

Hillsdale Ave. Burlington MA

Hilltop Dr

Hilltop Drive, Burlington MA

Holden Ave

Holden Ave, Burlington MA

Holly St

Holly St. Burlington MA

Hope St

Hope St. Burlington MA

Howard Rd

Howard Rd. Burlington MA

Humboldt Ave

Humbolt Ave. Burlington MA

I

Independence Dr — Originally called Arlington Road Extension due to its proximity to Arlington Road. This caused confusion among mail carriers and emergency services. It was renamed Independence Drive during America’s bicentennial celebration, when lots of streets received patriotic names.

Independence Drive, Burlington MA

Indian Hill Rd

Indian Hill Rd. Burlington MA

Irene St — Randomly named by Donald Gedick, who built many of the area’s homes.