Sullivan Square facts for kids
Sullivan Square is a busy traffic circle in the northern part of Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. It's named after James Sullivan, who was a governor of Massachusetts in the early 1800s. The MBTA Orange Line train has a station right next to the square.
Contents
The Story of Sullivan Square
Early Connections and the Canal
Before the 1800s, the area known as Mishawum (which later became Charlestown) was mostly connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. This strip was called "the neck." Roads leading to places like Everett, Medford, and Somerville all spread out from this neck.
In 1795, people decided to build an extension of the Middlesex Canal. This canal was like a water highway for boats. It was finished in 1803. The canal actually ran right through the spot where Sullivan Square is today. The area eventually got its name from James Sullivan. He was an important person who helped organize the building of the canal.
Railroads Arrive
In the 1800s, railroads started to become very popular. The Boston and Lowell Railroad opened in 1835. Then, the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) started running trains in 1844. Another important railroad, the Grand Junction Railroad, was added in 1849.
These railroads had stations near Sullivan Square. The B&M had its East Somerville station. The Eastern Railroad had its Somerville station. Because of these train stations, more homes and buildings were built in East Somerville, just west of Sullivan Square. As trains became more common, fewer people used the canal. So, the canal closed down in 1853.
More Transportation Changes
In the 1870s and 1880s, the Millers River and the wet areas around it were filled in. This made space for more railroad yards. Even with these changes, Sullivan Square remained a very important place for transportation.
In 1858, horse-drawn streetcars started running between Somerville and Charlestown. Around 1890, these were replaced by electric streetcars. In 1901, the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) opened its Main Line Elevated train. This was an elevated train line that ran above the streets. It had a large, impressive station right over Sullivan Square.
Highway and Modern Updates
In 1950, the city began a big project to reduce traffic jams in Sullivan Square. They replaced the old road junction with a large traffic circle. They also built an underpass for cars going from Alford Street to Rutherford Street. An overpass was built for cars coming from Broadway and Mystic Avenue to Rutherford Street. This work was finished in 1953.
Over time, the elevated train line became old and noisy. In 1975, the Orange Line was moved. It now runs next to the railroad tracks on the west side of the square. The old elevated station was then taken down. At the same time, Interstate 93 was built overhead. In 2002, the overpass that was built in the 1950s was removed because it was in bad condition.
Recently, there have been more improvements to Sullivan Square. In 2018 and 2019, changes were made to the traffic circle and nearby roads. There are also plans to completely change the traffic circle in the future. The goal is to make it a regular street grid to improve traffic flow even more.
