School Street
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School Street is a short but significant street in the center of
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. It is so named for being the site of the first public school in the United States (the
Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a Magnet school, magnet Latin schools, Latin Grammar schools, grammar State school, state school in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since it was established on April 23, 1635. It is the old ...
, since relocated). The school operated at various addresses on the street from 1704 to 1844. Effectively a southeastern extension of
Beacon Street Beacon Street is a major east–west street in Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs of Brookline, Massachusetts, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts, Newton. It passes through many of Boston's central and western neighborhoods, includ ...
, School Street runs one or two blocks (it is bisected by Province Street on one side) from
Tremont Street Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts. Tremont Street begins at Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Government Center in Boston's city center as a continuation of Cambridge Street, and forms the eastern edge of ...
to Washington Street. Along the way, it passes
King's Chapel King's Chapel is an American independent Christian unitarian congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association that is "unitarian Christian in theology, Anglican in worship, and congregational in governance." It is housed in ...
, Boston's
Old City Hall Old City Hall may refer to: Asia In Hong Kong * Old City Hall (Hong Kong) Europe In Croatia * Old City Hall (Zagreb) In Denmark * Old City Hall (1479–1728), in Copenhagen * Old City Hall (1728–1795), in Copenhagen * Old City Hall (Aalborg ...
(on the first public school site), and the historic Old Corner Bookstore. The Parker House hotel, 19th-century meeting place of politicians and literary figures as well as the origin point of several famous local dishes, is also located along the street. The entirety of the street is part of the
Freedom Trail The Freedom Trail is a path through Boston that passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States. It winds from Boston Common in downtown Boston, to the Old North Church in the North End and the Bunker Hill Monument i ...
, a red line that leads tourists to historic sites in the center of the city.


Timeline


17th–18th centuries

* 1635 –
Gaol A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cri ...
begins operating in vicinity. * 1688 – King's Chapel built. * 1708 – Officially named "School Street." * 1711 – October 2:
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
. * 1716 –
Governors A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
' Province House in use near School Street. * 1729 ** South Meeting House built near School Street. **
Samuel Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, Political philosophy, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts, a le ...
graduates from Latin School. * 1748 – Latin Schoolhouse built. * 1750 –
John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...
graduates from Latin School. * 1754 – King's Chapel rebuilt in stone. * 1772 – King's Chapel
bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
installed. * 1798 –
Massachusetts State House The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the New State House, is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol and seat of government for the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, lo ...
built at top of
hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...
in vicinity of School Street.


19th century

* 1804 – Union Circulating Library in business. * 1810 – County
courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...
built. * 1817 – Second Universalist Church consecrated. * 1827 – Tremont Theatre opens in vicinity of School Street. * 1833 – Harding's Gallery of art active (approximate date). * 1841 ** City Hall moves to School Street. ** Boston Museum opens near School Street. * 1844 – Latin School moves away from School Street. * 1845 – Horticultural Hall built. * 1854 –
Ticknor and Fields Ticknor and Fields was an American publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded as a bookstore in 1832, the business published many 19th-century American authors, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, Henr ...
publisher in business in the Corner Bookstore. * 1855 ** Parker House hotel in business. ** Saturday Club founded. * 1857 – Benjamin Franklin statue erected in front of City Hall. * 1858 – Boston Five Cents Savings Bank built. * 1865 –
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
rebuilt. * 1868 –
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
stays at Parker House. * 1872 – November 9: Great Boston Fire occurs in vicinity, just missing School Street. * 1885 – Hugh O'Brien becomes mayor.


20th century

* 1906 –
John F. Fitzgerald John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (February 11, 1863 – October 2, 1950) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. Fitzgerald served as mayor of Boston and a member of the United State ...
becomes mayor. * 1914 –
James Michael Curley James Michael Curley (November 20, 1874 – November 12, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served four terms as mayor of Boston between 1914 and 1955. Curley ran for mayor in every election for which he ...
becomes mayor. * 1920 –
Charles Ponzi Charles Ponzi (; ; born Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi; March 3, 1882 – January 18, 1949) was an Italians, Italian charlatan and Scam, con artist who operated in the United States and Canada. His Pseudonym, aliases included ''C ...
moved his fraud "Securities Exchange Company" to the Niles building on School Street. * 1930 –
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...
's Kirstein Business Branch opens off School Street. * 1958 –
Freedom Trail The Freedom Trail is a path through Boston that passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States. It winds from Boston Common in downtown Boston, to the Old North Church in the North End and the Bunker Hill Monument i ...
stripe painted. * 1969 – City hall moves away from School Street. * 1972 – Maison Robert restaurant in business. * 1973 – Boston Five Cents Savings Bank rebuilt. * 1982 – Globe Corner Bookstore in business.


See also

;Past tenants/activities * '' Boston True Flag'' (c. 1852–1864) *
Richard Clarke (merchant) Richard Clarke (May 1, 1711 – February 27, 1795) was a prominent Boston, Massachusetts, Boston merchant and Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalist in the late eighteenth century. His company, Richard Clarke & Sons, was chosen as factors ...
lived on School St., 18th century * Mrs. Abner Haven's cafe, 19th century * '' Merry's Museum'' published on School St. in the 1840s * Moses B. Russell, miniature painter, 19th century * Antoine Sonrel ran a photography studio, 1860s *
Watch and Ward Society A watch is a timepiece carried or worn by a person. It is designed to maintain a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or another type of b ...
, circa 1890s–1900s


References


External links

*


Further reading

*


Images

File:BostonLatinSchool 17thc SchoolSt.png, Boston Latin School, 17th century File:1743 SchoolSt Boston map WilliamPrice.png, Detail of 1743 map of Boston by William Price, showing School Street and vicinity File:1768 JoshuaBrackett2 Boston.png, Bill from Cromwell's Head Tavern, 1768 File:1832 Carter Hendee BostonDirectory.png, Ad for Carter & Hendee, booksellers; Washington St. and School St., Boston, 1832 File:Winter view of Franklin statue and old city hall, Boston, by Soule, John P., 1827-1904.jpg, Winter view of Franklin statue and City Hall, 19th century, by John P. Soule File:1851 Harmoneons HorticulturalHall Boston.png, Harmoneons performing at Horticultural Hall, 1851 File:RRJubilee 3 Gleasons1854.JPG, Railroad Jubilee, procession forming at City Hall, 1854 (from Gleason's Pictorial) File:1858 SchoolSt Boston.png, School St., 1858 File:Parker House, by J.W. & J.S. Moulton.jpg, Parker House, 19th century File:SchoolSt WashingtonSt Boston.png, Intersection of Washington St. and School St., 19th century File:1900 SchoolSt TremontSt Boston.png, Corner of School and Tremont Streets, 1900 {{Authority control Streets in Boston Financial District, Boston Odonyms referring to a building