Woburn is not a city that you would pass through on the way to somewhere else, it is the type of city where you have to want to go there. A few months ago I was having lunch with a friend at a restaurant in downtown Woburn. As I looked out the window I was struck by the imposing steeple of the Congregational church. I then noticed several other notable spires. I resolved to return one day to try and capture the spirit of the downtown through the architecture.
The city center is typical of a busy small city…so busy that the driver would not have time to look up, or be able to appreciate that which surrounds the area. Navigating the busy rotary in the square is also classic New England…a death defying effort to emerge safely on the other side. There are a couple traffic signals that seek to lessen the traffic challenge.
The center of the over-sized rotary has various memorials dedicated to veterans of the many wars. Despite the surrounding noise and traffic, one cannot help but be reflective in this space, which adds to the unique character of the downtown area.
A block off the square is a true gem, the Henry H. Richardson designed public library, which opened in 1879. Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the community is about to embark upon a much needed expansion at the rear of the existing structure.
Come with me as we walk around the square…