Chatham Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chatham Square
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Kimlau Square, a park located in Chatham Square; on left is Oliver Street; on right is St. James Place; the statue is Lin Zexu
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Kimlau Square
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 Chatham Square
Location in New York City
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Manhattan |
Chatham Square is a very important meeting point in Chinatown, a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. It's a special place where eight different streets all come together! These streets include the Bowery, Doyers Street, East Broadway, St. James Place, Mott Street, Oliver Street, Worth Street, and Park Row. In the center of this busy square, there's a small park. This park is known by two names: Kimlau Square and Lin Ze Xu Square.
Contents
The Story of Chatham Square
Chatham Square got its name from William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. He was a very important leader in Great Britain before the American Revolution. Another street nearby, Pitt Street, is also named after him.
Early Days of the Square
A long time ago, until about 1820, Chatham Square was a big outdoor market. People would buy and sell all sorts of things there, especially horses. Later, around the mid-1800s, it became a lively but sometimes rough area. After big events like The Great Depression and Prohibition in the 20th century, the area became much more organized and safer.
Honoring Heroes at Kimlau Square
In 1961, a special arch called the Kimlau Memorial Arch was built here. It was put up by a group called the American Legion. This arch honors Chinese American service members. These are brave people who fought and died for the United States.
The arch is named after 26-year-old Benjamin Ralph Kimlau. He was an aircraft commander during World War II. Sadly, his plane was shot down in 1944 while on a mission. The memorial was designed by Poy G. Lee. It also has beautiful writing by a famous Chinese writer, Yu Youren.
There is also a large bronze statue in the square. It shows Lin Zexu, a historical figure. The statue was made by Li Wei-Si.
Getting Around Chatham Square
Past and Future Subway Lines
Chatham Square used to be a major station for two elevated subway lines. These were the Second Avenue Elevated Line and the Third Avenue Elevated Line. "Elevated" means the trains ran on tracks high above the street. These lines closed in 1942 and 1955.
They were supposed to be replaced by a new subway line called the Second Avenue Subway. However, building this new line took a very long time! The first part of the Second Avenue Subway opened in 2017. A new station for Chatham Square is planned for the future. As of 2019, there's no set date for when it will be built.
Gallery
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The Chatham Square Branch of the New York Public Library
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The Kimlau Memorial Arch honors those of Chinese ancestry who fought and died for the United States
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Statue of Lin Zexu
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See also
In Spanish: Chatham Square para niños
