North Quincy, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
North Quincy is a neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts
. It is separated from the city of Boston
by the Neponset River
, and borders the Quincy neighborhoods of Squantum, Montclair and Wollaston. It contains the smaller neighborhoods of Atlantic (sometimes used as a synonym for North Quincy) and Norfolk Downs, as well as much of Wollaston Beach
.
drainage - was utilized as training and parade grounds by local militia. It was subsequently home to a race track operated by the Jockey Club of Boston in the 19th century.
Starting in the late 1970s, North Quincy has seen a large influx of Chinese American
and Eastern Asian immigrants and is predominantly Asian today.
The neighborhood was once home to a large Navy
population, housed in a large development north of Quincy Shore Drive and intended to serve the Squantum naval air base
. After NAS Squantum closed, the site continued to house Navy personnel and their families based at the South Weymouth NAS
until that base's closure in 1997; it has since been converted to senior housing.
The major employer in the neighborhood is State Street Corporation, which has its operations center on Newport Avenue adjacent to the subway station.
began servicing the area. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
leased the system - which extended through the South Shore, Norfolk and Plymouth Counties - starting in 1893. The neighborhood had two Old Colony stations; the Norfolk Downs station, situated at the end of Billings Road, and Atlantic Station, at the end of Atlantic Street. The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway
ran streetcar routes from Neponset Station
in Boston along Hancock Street to Quincy Center and points south through the 1930s; a branch route went from Atlantic Station to Squantum.
The North Quincy station
of the MBTA's Red Line
, situated across from North Quincy High School on Hancock and West Squantum Streets, opened in 1971. Several MBTA bus routes also serve the neighborhood; the 211 Squantum-Montclair route passes through North Quincy Station down East Squantum Street to Squantum, the 210 Quincy Center-Fields Corner route travels down Hancock Street and the 212 North Quincy-Quincy Center route travels down Billings Road.
State Route 3A
traverses the length of Hancock Street, crossing the Neponset River Bridge into Boston
.
and converted to condominiums.
North Quincy High School
, between Hancock and Hunt Streets, is the high school of North Quincy and the surrounding neighborhoods. It underwent extensive renovation in 1970-72, expanding significantly and requiring the razing of Oliver Street. A since-closed annex was also built on Newbury Avenue.
After its main building was repossessed by the city for construction purposes, Quincy College
moved most of its facilities to Newport Avenue near the subway station.
A branch of the Thomas Crane Public Library
is located on Hancock Street near the MBTA station; a second neighborhood branch on Atlantic Street was also a casualty of Proposition 2½ and closed in 1980.
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
. It is separated from the city of 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...
by the Neponset River
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
, and borders the Quincy neighborhoods of Squantum, Montclair and Wollaston. It contains the smaller neighborhoods of Atlantic (sometimes used as a synonym for North Quincy) and Norfolk Downs, as well as much of Wollaston Beach
Wollaston Beach
Wollaston Beach is a public beach located along Quincy Shore Drive in the Wollaston, section of Quincy, Massachusetts. It is located on Quincy Bay, part of Boston Harbor. It is cared for by the Friends of Wollaston Beach , and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation . At its...
.
History
Originally referred to as Billings Plain, the area - once largely marshland and part of the Neponset RiverNeponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
drainage - was utilized as training and parade grounds by local militia. It was subsequently home to a race track operated by the Jockey Club of Boston in the 19th century.
Starting in the late 1970s, North Quincy has seen a large influx of Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
and Eastern Asian immigrants and is predominantly Asian today.
The neighborhood was once home to a large Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
population, housed in a large development north of Quincy Shore Drive and intended to serve the Squantum naval air base
Naval Air Station Squantum
Naval Air Station Squantum was an active naval aviation facility during 1917 and from 1923 until 1953. The original civilian airfield that preceded it, the Harvard Aviation Field, dates back to 1910. The base was sited on Squantum Point in the city of Quincy, Massachusetts...
. After NAS Squantum closed, the site continued to house Navy personnel and their families based at the South Weymouth NAS
Naval Air Station South Weymouth
Naval Air Station South Weymouth, or SOWEY as it is sometimes known, was an operational United States Navy airfield from 1942 to 1997. It was first established as a regular Navy blimp base during World War II...
until that base's closure in 1997; it has since been converted to senior housing.
The major employer in the neighborhood is State Street Corporation, which has its operations center on Newport Avenue adjacent to the subway station.
Transportation
Starting in 1845, the Old Colony RailroadOld Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
began servicing the area. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
leased the system - which extended through the South Shore, Norfolk and Plymouth Counties - starting in 1893. The neighborhood had two Old Colony stations; the Norfolk Downs station, situated at the end of Billings Road, and Atlantic Station, at the end of Atlantic Street. The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway
Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway
The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in eastern Massachusetts, serving most suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts...
ran streetcar routes from Neponset Station
Neponset, Massachusetts
Neponset, Massachusetts is a district in the southeast corner of Dorchester, Massachusetts which is the most populous neighborhood of Boston....
in Boston along Hancock Street to Quincy Center and points south through the 1930s; a branch route went from Atlantic Station to Squantum.
The North Quincy station
North Quincy (MBTA station)
North Quincy is a station on the Red Line subway at East Squantum Street between Hancock Street and Newport Avenue in Quincy, Massachusetts, and serves North Quincy High School, the State Street Bank complex, and the North Quincy and Montclair neighborhoods. Its other facilities include bus...
of the MBTA's Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
, situated across from North Quincy High School on Hancock and West Squantum Streets, opened in 1971. Several MBTA bus routes also serve the neighborhood; the 211 Squantum-Montclair route passes through North Quincy Station down East Squantum Street to Squantum, the 210 Quincy Center-Fields Corner route travels down Hancock Street and the 212 North Quincy-Quincy Center route travels down Billings Road.
State Route 3A
Massachusetts Route 3A
Route 3A is a state highway in eastern Massachusetts, which parallels Route 3 and U.S. Route 3 from Cedarville in southern Plymouth to Tyngsborough at the New Hampshire state line....
traverses the length of Hancock Street, crossing the Neponset River Bridge into 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...
.
Education
The public schools serving North Quincy are F. W. Parker Elementary School and Atlantic Middle School. A second elementary school, Quincy Elementary School on Newbury Avenue, was closed in 1980 following the passage of Proposition 2½Proposition 2½
Proposition 2½ is a Massachusetts statute which limits property tax increases by Massachusetts municipalities. It was passed by ballot initiative, specifically called an initiative petition within Massachusetts state law, in 1980 and went into effect in 1982...
and converted to condominiums.
North Quincy High School
North Quincy High School
North Quincy High School is a public secondary school located in the North Quincy neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts. The school's mascot is known as the Red Raiders, and their school colors are Red & Black.-History:...
, between Hancock and Hunt Streets, is the high school of North Quincy and the surrounding neighborhoods. It underwent extensive renovation in 1970-72, expanding significantly and requiring the razing of Oliver Street. A since-closed annex was also built on Newbury Avenue.
After its main building was repossessed by the city for construction purposes, Quincy College
Quincy College
Quincy College is a public junior college located in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is an open admission commuter school that offers associate's degrees in professional fields of study.-History:...
moved most of its facilities to Newport Avenue near the subway station.
A branch of the Thomas Crane Public Library
Thomas Crane Public Library
The Thomas Crane Public Library is a city library in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is noted for its architecture. It was funded by the Crane family as a memorial to Thomas Crane, a wealthy stone contractor who got his start in the Quincy quarries. The Thomas Crane Library has the second largest...
is located on Hancock Street near the MBTA station; a second neighborhood branch on Atlantic Street was also a casualty of Proposition 2½ and closed in 1980.
External links
- Quincy, Massachusetts official site: http://www.quincyma.gov/Living/neighborhoods.cfm
- City information from MA Hometown Locator