Chester Square (Boston) facts for kids

Chester Square is a lovely garden park in Boston, Massachusetts. It's located along Massachusetts Avenue, a well-known street in the city. This park is part of Boston's historic South End neighborhood. The name "Chester" comes from the original name of the street, which was later changed to Massachusetts Avenue in 1894.

History of Chester Square

Chester Square was first built in the mid-1800s. The goal was to attract wealthy families to live in the area. At one time, it was the biggest garden park in the South End. It used to have a large, beautiful white fountain with three levels. There were also places to sit, many trees, colorful flowers, and other gardens.

However, the park started to decline in the early 1900s. Many wealthy residents moved to newer neighborhoods like Back Bay. Because of this, many of the large homes in the South End were divided into smaller apartments. These smaller units attracted people with less money. The grand Victorian houses became smaller apartments or even rooming houses.

The biggest change to the park happened in the 1950s. City and state leaders decided to run Massachusetts Avenue right through the middle of the park. This decision split Chester Square into two separate halves.

What is Chester Square like today?

Since the late 1990s, Chester Square has seen a big improvement. This is part of a larger economic and real estate growth in Boston's South End. Even though there are no plans to put the two halves of the park back together, there are exciting plans for the future.

The state is working on redesigning Massachusetts Avenue. As part of this project, Chester Square will get a complete makeover. This includes adding two new fountains to the park. Construction on these improvements began in June 2008.

How Street Names Changed in Boston

The names of streets and parks in Boston have changed many times over the years. For example, the area known as Chester Park in 1858 stretched from Washington Street to Albany Street. Different parts of this area were given different names over time.

For instance, the part east of Harrison Avenue was called East Chester Park in 1858. The section from Shawmut Avenue to Tremont Street became Chester Square in 1858. Later, in 1894, all these names – East Chester Park, Chester Park, Chester Square, and West Chester Park – were officially changed to Massachusetts Avenue.