Bowdoin Square (Boston) facts for kids
Bowdoin Square is a historic spot in Boston, Massachusetts. It's located in an area called the West End. This square was first set up way back in 1788.
For many years, in the 1700s and 1800s, Bowdoin Square was a busy place. It had beautiful houses, lots of trees, a church, and even a hotel and a theatre. Some important people lived here, like a doctor named Thomas Bulfinch and a city leader named Theodore Lyman.
Today, Bowdoin Square looks different. In the 1950s, a big project changed the West End. Some streets that used to lead into the square, like Green Street, were removed. Now, Bowdoin Square is a busy traffic intersection. It connects Cambridge Street, Bowdoin Street, and New Chardon Street. You can also get there using Boston's subway system, the MBTA. The Blue Line has a station right at Bowdoin Square.
A Look Back at Bowdoin Square
Let's explore some of the interesting buildings and places that were once part of Bowdoin Square:
Famous Houses
- Kirk Boott House: This large brick house was built in 1804. Kirk Boott was a wealthy merchant. His house was built on what used to be a pasture. It was a grand, three-story building. Many people think a famous architect named Charles Bulfinch designed it.
- Samuel Parkman House: Built around 1816, this big granite house stood at one end of the square. Samuel Parkman was also a very rich merchant.
Important Buildings
- Baptist Tabernacle: This church was built in 1840. It was also known as the Bowdoin-Square Church.
- Revere House Hotel: This was a very famous hotel that operated from 1847 to 1912. Many important visitors stayed there.
- United States Court House: In the 1800s, there was a courthouse here. This is where legal cases were handled.
- Bowdoin Square Hotel: Another hotel in the area.
- Bowdoin Square Theatre: This was a place where people could go to watch plays and other performances.
Images for kids
-
House built by Thomas Bulfinch II, after 1722. His grandson Charles Bulfinch was born here
-
Kirk Boott house, built 1804
-
Samuel Parkman house, built c. 1816
-
Daniel Webster, 1850 ("A great crowd had collected ... and on his appearance in a barouche, he was enthusiastically cheered."
-
Bowdoin Square Baptist Church, built 1840
-
Railroad Jubilee, 1854
-
U.S. Court House, Bowdoin Square, c. 1856; engraving by Samuel Smith Kilburn, Ballou's Pictorial
-
Detail of 1883 map of Boston, showing Bowdoin Square at intersection of Green, Chardon, Court, Bowdoin and Cambridge Streets
-
1883
-
Intersection of Cambridge, New Chardon and Bowdoin Streets, Boston, 2010
