Chester Square (Boston) Informations

Chester Square is a residential garden square located along Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, between Tremont Street and Shawmut Avenue. The name "Chester" is derived from the original name of the street, which was renamed Massachusetts Avenue on March 1, 1894. Chester Park is also located in the historic South End of Boston.

The square was first constructed in the mid-19th century to attract affluent residents. The park was once the largest garden square in the South End. It originally included a very large white, three tiered fountain with a seating area and numerous trees, flowers, and other gardens. It fell into decline shortly after the start of the 20th century for a number of reasons. As a result, wealthy residents moved to neighborhoods like Back Bay which were highly regarded, and many of the South End's rowhouses were subdivided into rentals which attracted less affluent residents. The grand Victorian townhouses were gradually divided up and converted into smaller units, public buildings, and rooming houses. The park suffered its most devastating change in the 1950s when City and State officials decided to run Massachusetts Avenue directly through the park, dividing the square in half.

Chester Square has since seen a significant turnaround since the late 1990s, as part of the overall economic and real estate boom that has been impacting the South End of Boston. While there are no current plans to rejoin the two garden squares to make them whole again, upcoming plans include a complete makeover of the park complete with two new fountains, as part of the State's plans to redesign Massachusetts Avenue from Symphony Hall to Albany Street and the I-93 Connector. Construction has started as of June 2008 on the two adjacent parks.

Excerpt from "Mass Ave History":

Coordinates: 42°20′17.78″N 71°4′45″W / 42.3382722°N 71.07917°W / 42.3382722; -71.07917

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