North Square (Boston, Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
North Square in the North End, Boston of Boston
, Massachusetts
sits at the intersection of Moon, Prince, North
, Garden Court, and Sun Court Streets. Paul Revere
lived here, as did other notables in the 17th and 18th centuries. Prior to July 4, 1788, the area was known as Clark's Square.
meetinghouse anchored the neighborhood. Its pastor Increase Mather
lived in the square "until the great fire of 1677, when his residence was destroyed."
"In the eighteenth century Boston's two grandest houses were on North Square. ... William Clark
, merchant, had a 3-story brick house with 26 lavish rooms, and nearby, facing the garden court, was John Foster's house, later occupied by Governor Hutchinson." John Pitcairn
and John Downes
also lived in the square.
As was typical of the North End generally, in the 20th century predominantly Italian immigrants lived in the square. As of the 1950s it has been part of the Freedom Trail
.
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...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
sits at the intersection of Moon, Prince, North
North Street (Boston, Massachusetts)
North Street in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts extends from Congress Street to Commercial Street. It runs past Dock Square, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and North Square...
, Garden Court, and Sun Court Streets. Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
lived here, as did other notables in the 17th and 18th centuries. Prior to July 4, 1788, the area was known as Clark's Square.
History
In the 17th century, Old NorthSecond Church, Boston
The Second Church in Boston, Massachusetts was first a congregational church, and then beginning in 1802, a unitarian church. The congregation occupied a number of successive locations around town, including North Square, Hanover Street, Copley Square, and the Fenway. Ministers included Increase...
meetinghouse anchored the neighborhood. Its pastor Increase Mather
Increase Mather
Increase Mather was a major figure in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay . He was a Puritan minister who was involved with the government of the colony, the administration of Harvard College, and most notoriously, the Salem witch trials...
lived in the square "until the great fire of 1677, when his residence was destroyed."
"In the eighteenth century Boston's two grandest houses were on North Square. ... William Clark
William Clark (merchant)
William Clark was a merchant and town official in Boston, Massachusetts in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Around 1713 he built a large house at North Square in Boston's North End.-Biography:...
, merchant, had a 3-story brick house with 26 lavish rooms, and nearby, facing the garden court, was John Foster's house, later occupied by Governor Hutchinson." John Pitcairn
John Pitcairn
John Pitcairn was a British Marine who was stationed in Boston, Massachusetts at the start of the American Revolutionary War....
and John Downes
John Downes (naval officer)
Commodore John Downes was an officer in the United States Navy, whose service covered the first half of the 19th century.-Early life and career:...
also lived in the square.
As was typical of the North End generally, in the 20th century predominantly Italian immigrants lived in the square. As of the 1950s it has been part of the Freedom Trail
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a red path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a...
.
See also
- William Clark (merchant)William Clark (merchant)William Clark was a merchant and town official in Boston, Massachusetts in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Around 1713 he built a large house at North Square in Boston's North End.-Biography:...
- Mariners House
- Pierce-Hichborn HousePierce-Hichborn HouseThe Pierce-Hichborn House is an early Georgian house located at 19 North Square, Boston, Massachusetts. It is immediately adjacent to the Paul Revere House and is now operated as a nonprofit museum by the Paul Revere Memorial Association...
- Paul ReverePaul ReverePaul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
- Paul Revere HousePaul Revere HouseThe Paul Revere House is the colonial home of American patriot Paul Revere during the time of the American Revolution. It is located at 19 North Square, Boston, Massachusetts, in the city's North End, and is now operated as a nonprofit museum by the Paul Revere Memorial Association. A small...
- Second Church, BostonSecond Church, BostonThe Second Church in Boston, Massachusetts was first a congregational church, and then beginning in 1802, a unitarian church. The congregation occupied a number of successive locations around town, including North Square, Hanover Street, Copley Square, and the Fenway. Ministers included Increase...
, in North Square 1649-1776
External links
- Bostonian Society has materials related to the square.
- Google news archive