Ready Set Get Excited

When Arsenal Yards was designed, we decided to pay homage to a strong woman who made history right here in Watertown. If you’ve visited us, you’ve likely strolled, biked, or drove down Eldridge Avenue, home to the storefronts of Nike, Frank Pepe, Sweetgreen and Starbucks. Eldridge Ave is named for Abby Eldridge, a widow working the ammunitions line during the Civil War at The Watertown Arsenal, a 40-acre arsenal established by the United States Army in 1816. Abby stood up to the numerous civic and labor violations facing women at the arsenal, leading 43 women to petition the Army Civilian Authority which resulted in a trial for improved wages, a workplace free from sexual harassment, and safer working conditions. Eldridge Avenue is a celebration of the strength, resilience, and activism that Abby showed more than 100 years ago. Visit her plaque outside of Starbucks and Sweetgreen in the flowerbed at the corner of Eldridge Avenue and Arsenal Yards Blvd.