Chester Square (Boston)
Encyclopedia
Chester Square is a residential garden square located along Massachusetts Avenue
in Boston
, between Tremont Street
and Shawmut Ave. The name "Chester" is derived from the original name of the street, which was renamed Massachusetts Ave on March 1, 1894. Chester Park is also located in the Historic South End, Boston, Massachusetts
.
Massachusetts Avenue (Boston)
Massachusetts Avenue, known to locals as Mass Ave, is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts, and several cities and towns northwest of Boston...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, between Tremont Street
Tremont Street
Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts.-Etymology:The name is a variation of one of the original appellations of the city, "Trimountaine," a reference to a hill that formerly had three peaks. Beacon Hill, with its single peak, is all that remains of the Trimountain...
and Shawmut Ave. The name "Chester" is derived from the original name of the street, which was renamed Massachusetts Ave on March 1, 1894. Chester Park is also located in the Historic South End, Boston, Massachusetts
South End, Boston, Massachusetts
The South End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.-Geography:The South End lies south of the Back Bay, northwest of South Boston, northeast of Roxbury, north of Dorchester, and southwest of Bay Village...
.
History
The square was first constructed in the mid-19th century to attract a growing wealthy merchant class. The park was once the largest garden square in the South End. It originally included a very large white, three tiered fountain with a seating area and numerous trees, flowers, and other gardens. It fell into decline shortly after the start of the 20th century, as wealthy residents moved to the Back Bay and a growing immigrant class moved in. The grand Victorian townhouses were gradually divided up and converted into smaller units, public buildings, and rooming houses. The park suffered its most devastating change in the 1950s when City and State officials decided to run Massachusetts Avenue directly through the park, dividing the square in half.Present Day
Chester Square has since seen a significant turnaround since the late 1990s, as part of the overall economic and real estate boom that has been impacting the South End of Boston. While there are no current plans to rejoin the two garden squares to make them whole again, upcoming plans include a complete makeover of the park complete with two new fountains, as part of the State's plans to redesign Massachusetts Avenue from Symphony Hall to Albany Street and the I-93 Connector. Construction has started as of June 2008 on the two adjacent parks.Changing Street Names
Excerpt from "Mass Ave History":Chester Park, Boston 1858, from Washington Street to Albany Street; from South Bay to Boston Water Power Company's land named Chester Oar, June 22, 1858; part east of Harrison Avenue named East Chester Park, November 16, 1858; from Shawmut Avenue to Tremont Street named Chester Square, December 29, 1858; called West Chester Park and so accepted, December 21, 1859l from Washington Street to Shawmut Avenue named Chester Square, March 3, 1864; from Washington Street to Albany Street named East Chester Park, April 27, 1869; East Chester Park named East Chester Avenue July 13, 1869 and East Chester Avenue named Chester Park, April 5, 1870; name of East Chester Park, Chester Park, Chester Square, and West Chester Park Changed to Massachusetts Avenue, March 1, 1894.