Nubian Square

Last updated
Dudley Department Store Dudley Department Store, Washington St, Roxbury MA.jpg
Dudley Department Store

Nubian Square (formerly Dudley Square) is the primary commercial center of the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located at the intersection of Dudley Street and Washington Street. It has long been the center of African American culture in Boston, prior to which the area was primarily Jewish.[ citation needed ]

Contents

For most of the twentieth century, the square was a multi-mode transportation hub, centered at Dudley station, now Nubian station of the Washington Street Elevated, which closed in 1987. [1] Several streetcar lines radiated to surrounding neighborhoods from the elevated station. It is now a substantial bus terminal and terminus for the MBTA's bus rapid transit Silver Line. [1]

History

In the colonial and post-revolutionary periods, Washington Street was the only connection between Shawmut Peninsula, on which Old Boston was located, and the mainland. Nubian Square is located on the mainland side of what was the Washington Street isthmus, an area known as The Neck. [2] At the time, it was known as Dudley Square. Notable development began in Roxbury in the 19th century, and Nubian Square served as a commercial center in this period. As Boston introduced streetcar service through the Boston Elevated Railway, Dudley Square station was opened in 1901, leading to another boom in Dudley Square's importance and reinforcing its status as a community hub. [1] [2]

After the Boston Elevated Railway's reorganization into the Metropolitan Transit Authority [3] in 1947, streetcar service to Dudley Square Square was curtailed and replaced with bus service through the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, the Southwest Expressway was planned to run through Roxbury, and attempts to relocate the Dudley Square community to make way for the project led to the displacement of many residents, the destruction of much of Dudley Square's community, and tensions with Boston City authorities. [4] The process of replacing streetcar service with bus service was completed in 1987, with the closure of the Washington Street Elevated. Around this time, Dudley Square entered a period of reinvestment, as key community buildings, such as the post office, were rebuilt and others, such as the Roxbury Boys and Girls Club and Palladio Hall, were restored. [1] [4]

Name change

The square was originally named after Thomas Dudley, a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. An effort to rename the square was led by a local community group, the Nubian Square Coalition. [5] The proposed name came from the region, now in Egypt and Sudan, that was the seat of one of the earliest civilizations of ancient Africa. [6] Proponents noted that Dudley was "a leading politician in 1641", when the colony became the first to legally sanction slavery. [7] Other reasons included resisting gentrification and rebuilding a sense of community ethnic identity around the square; [8] and honoring the long-time local business A Nubian Notion, which had been in the square for 50 years. [9]

Roxbury-based newspaper The Bay State Banner had supported a name change, although noted in an editorial that Nubians had owned slaves, too. [10] Byron Rushing, former president of the Museum of African American History in Boston, noted, “I’ve really searched, and I’ve found no evidence that Dudley ever owned slaves." [11]

A non-binding advisory question was added to the November 5, 2019, municipal election ballot for all Boston residents asking, "Do you support the renaming/changing of the name of Dudley Square to Nubian Square?" Approximately 54% of votes cast on the question were in opposition, while approximately 46% were in favor. [12] Although the question was defeated, it "passed in the surrounding areas" near the square, and Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh subsequently announced that the proposal would be considered further by the city's Public Improvement Commission. [13] On December 19, 2019, the Public Improvement Commission unanimously approved changing the name of Dudley Square to Nubian Square. [14] [15] The name change is recorded in Boston's street register, but there is no physical city signage displaying either the old or the new name of the square. [5] The Nubian Square Coalition stated that they would next pursue a name change of Dudley Square station, a bus station in the square. [5] In mid-February 2020, it was announced that the station would be renamed to Nubian Station. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Line (MBTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Greater Boston

The Orange Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of the MBTA subway system. The line runs south on the surface from Oak Grove station in Malden, Massachusetts through Malden and Medford, paralleling the Haverhill Line, then crosses the Mystic River on a bridge into Somerville, then into Charlestown. It passes under the Charles River and runs through Downtown Boston in the Washington Street Tunnel. The line returns to the surface in the South End, then follows the Southwest Corridor southwest in a cut through Roxbury and Jamaica Plain to Forest Hills station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Line (MBTA)</span> Bus rapid transit system in Massachusetts, US

The Silver Line is a system of bus routes in Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts, operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). It is operated as part of the MBTA bus system, but branded as bus rapid transit (BRT) as part of the MBTA subway system. Six routes are operated as part of two disconnected corridors. As of 2019, weekday ridership on the Silver Line was 39,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvard station</span> Subway station in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

Harvard station is a rapid transit and bus transfer station in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Located at Harvard Square, it serves the MBTA's Red Line subway system as well as MBTA buses. Harvard averaged 18,528 entries each weekday in FY2019, making it the third-busiest MBTA station after Downtown Crossing and South Station. Five of the fifteen key MBTA bus routes stop at the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MBTA bus</span> Greater Boston bus network

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates 152 bus routes in the Greater Boston area. The MBTA has a policy objective to provide transit service within walking distance for all residents living in areas with population densities greater than 5,000 inhabitants per square mile (1,900/km2) within the MBTA's service district. Much of this service is provided by bus. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 91,459,700, or about 303,300 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Hills station (MBTA)</span> Transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Forest Hills station is an intermodal transfer station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA rapid transit Orange Line and three MBTA Commuter Rail lines and is a major terminus for MBTA bus routes. It is located in Forest Hills, in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Most Providence/Stoughton Line and Franklin/Foxboro Line trains, and all Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains, pass through the station without stopping. Forest Hills station is fully accessible on all modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lechmere station</span> Light rail station in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

Lechmere station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located on the east side of Monsignor O'Brien Highway near First Street, adjacent to the NorthPoint development. The accessible elevated station has a single island platform, with headhouses at both ends. It opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX). Lechmere station is served by Green Line D branch and E branch service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Elevated Railway</span> Defunct public transit company serving the Boston metro area, MA, USA (1894-1947)

The Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) was a streetcar and rapid transit railroad operated on, above, and below, the streets of Boston, Massachusetts and surrounding communities. Founded in 1894, it eventually acquired the West End Street Railway via lease and merger to become the city's primary mass transit provider. Its modern successor is the state-run Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which continues to operate in part on infrastructure developed by BERy and its predecessors.

The Pleasant Street incline or Pleasant Street portal was the southern access point for the Tremont Street subway in Boston, Massachusetts, which became part of the Green Line after the incline was closed. The portal and the section of tunnel connecting it to Boylston served streetcars from 1897 to 1901, Main Line Elevated trains from 1901 to 1908, and streetcars again from 1908 to 1962. The Pleasant Street incline is now abandoned, but plans have been floated at various times to reuse it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MBTA key bus routes</span> Bus routes utilized and ran by the MBTA

Key bus routes of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) system are 15 routes that have high ridership and higher frequency standards than other bus lines, according to the 2004 MBTA Service Policy. Together, they account for roughly 40% of the MBTA's total bus ridership. These key bus routes ensure basic geographic coverage with frequent service in the densest areas of Boston, and connect to other MBTA services to give access to other areas throughout the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubian station</span> Bus and former rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Nubian station is a ground-level Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus station located in Nubian Square in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is a transfer point between MBTA bus routes, including two Silver Line bus rapid transit lines and 14 local routes. Like all MBTA bus stops, Nubian is fully accessible.

Washington Street is a street originating in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, which extends southwestward to the Massachusetts–Rhode Island state line. The majority of its length outside of the city was built as the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike in the early 19th century. It is the longest street in Boston and remains one of the longest streets in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Due to various municipal annexations with the city of Boston, the name Washington Street now exists 6 or more times within the jurisdiction(s) of the City of Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Line E branch</span> Light rail line

The E branch is a light rail line in Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Somerville, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line. The line runs in mixed traffic on South Huntington Avenue and Huntington Avenue between Heath Street and Brigham Circle, in the median of Huntington Avenue to Northeastern University, then into the Huntington Avenue subway. The line merges into the Boylston Street subway just west of Copley, running to North Station via the Tremont Street subway. It then follows the Lechmere Viaduct to Lechmere, then the Medford Branch to Medford/​Tufts. As of February 2023, service operates on eight-minute headways at weekday peak hours and eight to nine-minute headways at other times, using 13 to 17 trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston-area streetcar lines</span>

As with many large cities, a large number of Boston-area streetcar lines once existed, and many continued operating into the 1950s. However, only a few now remain, namely the four branches of the Green Line and the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line, with only one running regular service on an undivided street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sullivan Square station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Sullivan Square station is a rapid transit station on the MBTA subway Orange Line, located adjacent to Sullivan Square in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is a major transfer point for MBTA bus service, with 12 routes using a two-level busway. The station has two island platforms serving the two active Orange Line tracks plus an unused third track. The Haverhill Line and Newburyport/Rockport Line pass through the station on separate tracks but do not stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Street Elevated</span> Former elevated railroad in Boston, Massachusetts

The Washington Street Elevated was an elevated segment of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line. It ran from Chinatown through the South End and Roxbury, ending in Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Street station</span> Metro station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Green Street station is a rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA's Orange Line and is located in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Green Street is the least-used station on the Orange Line, averaging 3,055 weekday boardings in FY 2019. Like all Orange Line stations, it is fully accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxbury Crossing station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Roxbury Crossing station is a rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Orange Line, and is located on Tremont Street in the Mission Hill neighborhood. The current station opened in 1987 as part of the renovation and relocation of the southern Orange Line. Like all stations on the Orange Line, Roxbury Crossing is accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Square station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Jackson Square station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Orange Line rapid transit station located on Centre Street near Columbus Avenue in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The station opened in 1987 as part of the Southwest Corridor project. It is served by MBTA bus routes 14, 22, 29, 41, and 44, which operate into an off-street busway located adjacent to the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stony Brook station (MBTA)</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Stony Brook station is a rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Orange Line and is located below grade at Boylston Street in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The station opened on May 4, 1987, as part of the Southwest Corridor project, replacing an earlier station that was open from 1897 to 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egleston station</span> Boston MBTA former subway station

Egleston was a rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts. It served the Washington Street Elevated, part of the MBTA's Orange Line. It was located over Egleston Square at the intersection of Washington Street and Columbus Avenue in the Roxbury neighborhood. The station opened in November 1909, and was closed in April 1987 when the Orange Line was rerouted to the west along the Southwest Corridor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Propp, Gil (2013). "Dudley Square". Boston Streetcars. Archived from the original on 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  2. 1 2 Greim, Robert; Sammarco, Anthony (2017-08-10). "The Boston History Project: Dudley Square Roxbury". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  3. ↑ "The History of the T | MBTA".
  4. 1 2 Rios, Simón (2016-08-15). "A Rejuvenated Dudley Square Struggles With Changing Identity". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  5. 1 2 3 DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (December 19, 2019). "Boston officially changes Dudley Square to Nubian Square". Boston.com . Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  6. ↑ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (2019-09-19). "Boston residents will get to vote on changing the name of Dudley Square. Here's why". Boston.com . Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  7. ↑ Daily Free Press Staff (2019-11-06). "Boston votes against renaming Dudley Square". The Daily Free Press. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  8. ↑ Wintersmith, Saraya (2019-12-20). "What's In A Name? Nubian Square, Little Saigon Activists Push For Cultural Labeling". News. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  9. ↑ Greenberg, Zoe (2019-12-19). "'A new day': Dudley Square is renamed Nubian Square". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  10. ↑ Miller, M.B. (2018-02-14). "A misguided effort to rename Dudley Sq. 'Nubian Sq.'". The Bay State Banner. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  11. ↑ MacQuarrie, Brian (December 18, 2019). "Dudley Square: at the intersection of Colonial history, African heritage" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  12. ↑ "City of Boston - Unofficial Results - UPDATED" (PDF). boston.gov. November 13, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  13. ↑ Cotter, Sean Philip (November 15, 2019). "Behind the 8 ball: Boston heads for City Council recount as margin just 8 votes" . Boston Herald . Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  14. ↑ adamg (December 19, 2019). "Dudley Square officially gets renamed Nubian Square" . Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  15. ↑ Cotter, Sean Philip (December 19, 2019). "Roxbury's Dudley Square renamed Nubian Square". Boston Herald . Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  16. ↑ Erb, Jordan (February 15, 2020). "Dudley Station to be renamed Nubian Station" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved February 16, 2020.

Further reading

42°19′45″N71°5′8″W / 42.32917°N 71.08556°W / 42.32917; -71.08556

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.