Travel the Town with the Belmont Passport

By Viktoria Haase 

Looking for that fun family-friendly outdoor activity? Grab a Belmont Passport and start exploring! 

A new Belmont Passport is now available to guide tours of local history. Town of Homes, the latest and third booklet in the series, highlights homes in Belmont, and describes their architecture, occupants, and other interesting facts that can help you understand why Belmont continues to enjoy its reputation as the “Town of Homes.”  

Inside the Passport are 27 locations including: 

• The Howlett House designed by prominent architect Walter Gropius 
• Several homes built in the 1700s like the Josiah Shattuck House
• The James Bailey House, built around 1840 and moved to Belmont from Arlington 

The first Passport, titled Monuments, Markers, Memorials, was published in November 2020 and includes 28 sites. It was developed to provide residents with a way to connect to the unique history all around them and quickly became a popular activity. With this Passport, you can learn more about the Roger Wellington Monument on Pleasant Street, view an original gatepost from the former Hittinger Farm along School Street, or discover a granite boundary stone on Washington Street.  

The second Passport, titled Historic Sites, contains two dozen locations. This booklet will take you on a journey to places you may never have been and help you to better appreciate the stories behind familiar locations. Explore the reservoir in Payson Park, learn the history of the railroad underpass in Belmont Center, and understand the origins of Palfrey Square.   

All three Passports combine carefully researched captions with photographs to celebrate what makes this community so special. You can pick up a copy of one or all three of these Passports at Belmont’s 5 and 10 in Cushing Square, in the Belmont Town Clerk’s office, or by contacting the Belmont Historical Society at belmonthistory1859@gmail.com.

Viktoria Haase is the president of the Belmont Historical Society.