Current Projects

The last glimpse of the Quequechans falls

195 Things: Off Anawan Street, the last glimpse of the Quequechan’s falls

 

By Liz Teitz, Special to The Herald News

 

FALL RIVER — In a city named for its waterfalls, this is the only one left. The Quequechan daylights here between the Fall River Iron Works and American Printing Co. buildings, near where it empties into the Taunton River.

 

Though it begins at the South Watuppa Pond, much of its path downhill is underground, beneath mill buildings and roads.

 

Before industrialization in the city, the Quequechan passed over eight waterfalls between South Main Street and where Heritage State Park now sits. Those powered mills and mobilized entrepreneurship, but also rapidly encroached on the river, covering up many of the falls to operate the factories.

 

Later, 195 took over what was left, leaving only this spot uncovered where those eight used to be. Here on Anawan Street, the river pours out from beneath the Iron Works building, before ducking back under the American Printing Co. and running down to its underground culverts.

 

Proposals over the last several years have called for uncovering the other falls or using the river to generate electricity, but none have come to fruition.

 

 

You can hear the river before you can see it as you cross Anawan Street. To see the waterfall, walk past Work Out World and between the two mill buildings, following the sound of the water.

 

 

 

<Back