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Home - Article RompDid Leif Eriksson Ever Chill in Waltham? |
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When Martin and Ben heard that Leif Eriksson had once journeyed down the Charles River and set foot in Waltham, MA, they knew exactly what they had to do--retrace the footsteps of the great Viking, share in the glory of his exploits, and offer a belated millennial celebration. As it turns out, they accomplished none of these things, but their piqued interests did lead them to a curiously forbidden tower. Located on a road right off South Street heading toward I-95, across from an almost equally mysterious Waltham dam, the medieval style building sits defunct--barred up and overgrown, gaining only occasional glances from the undiscriminating morning jogger.
The site enjoyed a brief vogue in the late 19th century as Professor Eben Norton Horsford (dubbed "amateur archaeologist by the Leif Eriksson Monument Database) hypothesized that Eriksson had lived in what is now Cambridge and frequented the Charles. And thus, a tower was erected in 1889 to commemorate such an important area. The theory, however, was soon called into question and was never fully accepted. The bold monument, once signifying the kleos of discovery all too quickly became a milestone of ill-founded archaeological methods. Think of Henry Schliemann minus the luck. Oh, and minus any concrete evidence. |
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And yet, not even the most overzealous historian could stop Martin and Ben from having a blast. For, despite the miscalculations, it’s still a damn cool tower. No one can turn down a good spiral stair, even if the ice-glossed steps turn the act of ascension into variations on Twister. Furthermore, it boasts a nonpareil view of Spingold Theater. So don’t thank Leif Eriksson; thank Waltham.
Copyright 2003, The Watch Magazine |
