The Neponset River Greenway connects the neighborhoods of Readville, Hyde Park, Milton, Mattapan, and Dorchester. It is an active walking/biking trail for neighbors providing scenic views and opportunities for immersion with nature.

Harvest River Bridge

The Harvest River Bridge

“Overall, the Neponset River travels more than 29 miles, starting at Gillette Stadium and ending near the gas tanks along the Southeast Expressway…The recorded history of the Neponset starts around 1619, when Native Americans would use the river as a route to trade furs, largely muskrat and beaver.” (Source)

“The Greenway section between Mattapan Square and Central Ave is used by thousands of people on a weekly basis….Completed in 2017, it connects Mattapan and Milton via the beautiful Harvest River Bridge. This section has made the local community increasingly aware of the Neponset River, and has connected people from diverse backgrounds with a common interest in getting outside in their own neighborhoods.” (Source)

“Early local industries relied on the river for a supply of water, a space for dumping waste, and a source of power for manufacturing infrastructure like mills and dams. Many of these mills—supporting the production of flour, gun powder, paper, lumber, and chocolate—were concentrated in today's Dorchester-Milton Lower Mills Industrial District and Upper Falls area.” (Source)

“Onsite, there is an engraved marker featuring a river fish with the following text underneath:

The Massachusett Tribe of the Algonquian Nation called the river ‘Neponset’ (Harvest River). In the spring, herring and smelt hurdle the rapids to spawn in the fresh water upstream.” (Source)

Additional resources:

Video: Installing the Harvest River Bridge over the Neponset River (Aerial view)
A Historical Timeline of the Neponset River: https://www.neponsetgreenway.org/neptime.htm
Article from the Dorchester Reporter: https://www.dotnews.com/2025/07/09/link-greenway-it-has-been-long-winding-road/

QR Code link: https://www.artandsoulclinic.com/neponset-river-greenway-iconic-sites#harvest-river-bridge

Walter Baker Chocolate Factory

The Walter Baker Chocolate Factory

“How did this early chocolate business come to settle along the Neponset? In 1764, a young Irish immigrant named John Hannon approached local mill owners with a request to harness water power for a new chocolate-making technique he learned in London. No mill owners were particularly enthusiastic about the idea, but a general store owner named James Baker jumped on the idea as a prospective business opportunity. On March 8, 1765, Hannon began making chocolate in a saw mill financed by Baker and powered by the Neponset. Baker took full ownership of the business after Hannon disappeared in 1779, and the Baker name ran the Boston chocolate scene until 1965, when operations moved to Delaware.” (Source)

Additional Resources: