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{{Short description|Neighborhood in Somerville, Massachusetts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{coord|42.3797|N|71.0964|W|type:landmark_scale:5000|display=title}}
{{coord|42.3797|N|71.0964|W|type:landmark_scale:5000|display=title}}
[[File:Union Square from Prospect Street, December 2021.JPG|thumb|right|Union Square in December 2021]]
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'''Union Square''' is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]], Massachusetts, United States. It is centered on Union Square proper, which is located at the intersection of Washington Street, Webster Avenue, and Somerville Avenue.


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The name "Union Square" comes from the square having been used as a recruitment and mustering site for the Union Army in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. A plaque commemorating the mustering site sits at the southwestern corner of the square between Somerville Avenue and Washington Street, and the [[Prospect Hill Monument]] is located several blocks away atop Prospect Hill. Union Square is now the commercial center of a primarily residential neighborhood with many restaurants, bars and neighborhood stores.
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'''Union Square''' is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]], [[Massachusetts]]. It is centered on Union Square proper, which is located at the intersection of Washington Street, Webster Avenue, and Somerville Avenue.


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As the oldest and largest commercial area in the city, Union Square is home to a number of community institutions, including the Somerville Police headquarters, Somerville [[Public-access television|Community Access Television]] (SCATV), and Boston Free Radio.<ref name="spcd">{{cite web|title=Union Square/Boynton Yards |url=http://www.somervillema.gov/Section.cfm?org=OSPCD&page=1376 |publisher=City of Somerville |author=Somerville Strategic Planning and Community Development |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502230144/http://www.somervillema.gov/Section.cfm?org=OSPCD&page=1376 |archive-date=May 2, 2010 |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>
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The name "Union Square" comes from the square having been used as a recruitment and mustering site for the Union Army in the [[American Civil War]]. A plaque commemorating the mustering site sits at the southwest corner of the square between Somerville Avenue and Washington Street, and the Prospect Hill Monument is located several blocks away atop Prospect Hill. Union Square is now the commercial center of a primarily residential neighborhood with many restaurants, bars and neighborhood stores.

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As the oldest and largest commercial area in the city, Union Square is home to a number of community institutions, including the Somerville Police headquarters, Somerville [[Public-access television|Community Access Television]] (SCATV), and Boston Free Radio.<ref name="spcd">{{cite web|title=Union Square/Boynton Yards |url=http://www.somervillema.gov/Section.cfm?org=OSPCD&page=1376 |publisher=City of Somerville |author=Somerville Strategic Planning and Community Development |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502230144/http://www.somervillema.gov/Section.cfm?org=OSPCD&page=1376 |archivedate=2 May 2010 |accessdate=5 July 2015}}</ref>


==History==
==History==


===Sand Pit Square===
===Sand Pit Square===
Union Square was Somerville’s earliest commercial district to develop when it was still a part of [[Charlestown, Boston|Charlestown]]. Early trade routes passed through the Square and a tavern was built there as early as 1770. Originally called "Sand Pit Square," the area's sandy, clay pit-dotted pastures yielded a fine grade of silica used in glass and brick-making.<ref name=sandpit />
Union Square was Somerville's earliest commercial district to develop when it was still a part of [[Charlestown, Boston|Charlestown]]. Early trade routes passed through the square and a tavern was built there as early as 1770. Originally called "Sand Pit Square," the area's sandy, clay pit-dotted pastures yielded a fine grade of silica used in glass and brick-making.<ref name=sandpit />


===American Revolution===
===American Revolution===
[[File:Prospect Hill Monument Union Square MA.jpg|thumb|The Grand Union Flag flying on Prospect Hill Monument, overlooking Union Square]]
[[File:Prospect Hill Monument Union Square MA.jpg|thumb|The Grand Union Flag flying on Prospect Hill Monument, overlooking Union Square]]
It was during the [[American Revolution]] that Union Square took center stage. Because of its location and height providing panoramic views and control of Charlestown, Somerville, and Cambridge, Prospect Hill had great strategic importance in the Revolutionary War and became known as the "Citadel".<ref name=mulder>{{cite web|url=http://www.muldermedia.com/prospecthill/history.html |title=The History of Prospect Hill: Where the first American flag ever flew |publisher=Mulder Media |last=Mulder |first=Steve|accessdate=5 July 2015}}</ref>{{rp|1}} The castle, dedicated in 1903, is a monument commemorating the fortifications atop the hill during that war.<ref name=mulder />{{rp|3}} A tablet inside reads: "This tablet is erected in memory of the soldiers of the Revolution and of the Civil War who encamped on Prospect Hill and of the banners under which they valiantly fought."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cityvoter.com/prospect-hill-park-munroe-st-and-prospect-hill-ave-union-square-somerville-ma-02143/loc/99871 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090702123013/http://cityvoter.com/prospect-hill-park-munroe-st-and-prospect-hill-ave-union-square-somerville-ma-02143/loc/99871 |archivedate=2 July 2009 |title=Prospect Hill Park 2 |accessdate=5 July 2015 |publisher=CityVoter}}</ref>
It was during the [[American Revolution]] that Union Square took center stage. Because of its location and height providing panoramic views and control of Charlestown, Somerville, and Cambridge, Prospect Hill had great strategic importance in the Revolutionary War and became known as the "Citadel".<ref name=mulder>{{cite web|url=http://www.muldermedia.com/prospecthill/history.html |title=The History of Prospect Hill: Where the first American flag ever flew |publisher=Mulder Media |last=Mulder |first=Steve|access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>{{rp|1}} The castle, dedicated in 1903, is a monument commemorating the fortifications atop the hill during that war.<ref name=mulder />{{rp|3}} A tablet inside reads: "This tablet is erected in memory of the soldiers of the Revolution and of the Civil War who encamped on Prospect Hill and of the banners under which they valiantly fought."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cityvoter.com/prospect-hill-park-munroe-st-and-prospect-hill-ave-union-square-somerville-ma-02143/loc/99871 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090702123013/http://cityvoter.com/prospect-hill-park-munroe-st-and-prospect-hill-ave-union-square-somerville-ma-02143/loc/99871 |archive-date=July 2, 2009 |title=Prospect Hill Park 2 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |publisher=CityVoter}}</ref>


Somerville is one of several locales claiming to have hosted the first raising of the [[Flag of the United States|U.S. Flag]], called the [[Grand Union Flag]].<ref name=sandpit>{{cite web |url= http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/UnionSquareSelf-GuidedTour.pdf |title= Union Square Revisited: From Sand Pit to Melting Pot |last1= Gordon |first1= Edward W. |date= September 2008 |publisher= Somerville Historic Preservation Commission |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213081205/http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/UnionSquareSelf-GuidedTour.pdf |archivedate=December 13, 2013}}</ref> Tradition claims that [[George Washington]] raised the flag on Prospect Hill on January 1, 1776, and a plaque on the hill indicates such.<ref name=mulder />{{rp|2}} However, some scholars dispute these traditional accounts, concluding that the flag raised at Prospect Hill was probably a British [[Union Flag]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.pdcnet.org/85257D7A006284F7/file/491C4A803A6EF8CFC1257DCC006ED254/$FILE/raven_2006_0013_0000_0078_0101.pdf |title=The Flag on Prospect Hill |last=Ansoff |first=Peter |journal=Raven: A Journal of Vexillology |volume=13 |year=2006 |issn=1071-0043 |pages=77–100 |accessdate=4 July 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705021926/https://www.pdcnet.org/85257D7A006284F7/file/491C4A803A6EF8CFC1257DCC006ED254/$FILE/raven_2006_0013_0000_0078_0101.pdf |archivedate=5 July 2015}}</ref> Since a favorable surrender was then being offered to the rebelling colonists, the raising of a flag similar (or identical) to the Union Jack was briefly mistaken for a gesture of surrender.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.archives.gov/prologue/?p=361 |title=A funny thing happened on the way to the Revolutionary War |work=Prologue: Pieces of History |publisher=National Archives |date=14 September 2010 |first=Rob |last=Crotty |accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref>
Somerville is one of several locales claiming to have hosted the first raising of the [[Flag of the United States|U.S. Flag]], called the [[Grand Union Flag]].<ref name=sandpit>{{cite web |url= http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/UnionSquareSelf-GuidedTour.pdf |title= Union Square Revisited: From Sand Pit to Melting Pot |last1= Gordon |first1= Edward W. |date= September 2008 |publisher= Somerville Historic Preservation Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213081205/http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/UnionSquareSelf-GuidedTour.pdf |archive-date=December 13, 2013}}</ref> Tradition claims that [[George Washington]] raised the flag on Prospect Hill on January 1, 1776, and a plaque on the hill indicates such.<ref name=mulder />{{rp|2}} However, some scholars dispute these traditional accounts, concluding that the flag raised at Prospect Hill was probably a British [[Union Flag]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.pdcnet.org/85257D7A006284F7/file/491C4A803A6EF8CFC1257DCC006ED254/$FILE/raven_2006_0013_0000_0078_0101.pdf |title=The Flag on Prospect Hill |last=Ansoff |first=Peter |journal=Raven: A Journal of Vexillology |volume=13 |year=2006 |issn=1071-0043 |pages=77–100 |doi=10.5840/raven2006134 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705021926/https://www.pdcnet.org/85257D7A006284F7/file/491C4A803A6EF8CFC1257DCC006ED254/$FILE/raven_2006_0013_0000_0078_0101.pdf |archive-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> Since a favorable surrender was then being offered to the rebelling colonists, the raising of a flag similar (or identical) to the Union Jack was briefly mistaken for a gesture of surrender.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.archives.gov/prologue/?p=361 |title=A funny thing happened on the way to the Revolutionary War |work=Prologue: Pieces of History |publisher=National Archives |date=September 14, 2010 |first=Rob |last=Crotty |access-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref>


===Industry growth===
===Industry growth===
[[File:Union Square steps.JPG|thumb|left|Steps which formerly led to the Union Square station on the [[Fitchburg Railroad]]]]
[[File:Old and new Union Square stations, December 1911.jpg|thumb|left|New (left) and old Union Square station buildings on the [[Fitchburg Railroad]] in 1911]]
In its early years, Somerville was an agricultural suburb, supplying the growing urban area surrounding Boston. For a time the Union Square area was known as Milk Row after the small farms surrounding it.<ref name=spcd />
In its early years, Somerville was an agricultural suburb, supplying the growing urban area surrounding Boston. For a time the Union Square area was known as Milk Row after the small farms surrounding it.<ref name=spcd />


Union Square became a major commercial center during the early 19th century due to its location at an important crossroads. When the [[Warren Bridge]] opened to link Charlestown and Boston in 1828, it caused a considerable increase in traffic along Washington Street and Charlestown Lane (now Somerville Avenue). Railroad access began with the opening of the [[Fitchburg Railroad]] in 1843 and then opening of the [[Union Square (MBTA Green Line "E" Branch station)#Commuter Rail|Union Square railroad station]] just west of Webster Street. The Boynton Yards area south of the rail line and east of Union Square was created in 1874 when the swampy ground was filled with material from the top of Prospect Hill.<ref name=boynton>{{cite web |url=http://www.unionsquareneighbors.com/boynton-yards.html |title=Boynton Yards |publisher=Union Square Neighbors |accessdate=5 July 2015}}</ref> It became a meat packing and manufacturing district, with a [[slaughterhouse]], [[brickyard]], glass shop, and later other industries.<ref name="spcd" />
Union Square became a major commercial center during the early 19th century due to its location at an important crossroads. When the [[Warren Bridge]] opened to link Charlestown and Boston in 1828, it caused a considerable increase in traffic along Washington Street and Charlestown Lane (now Somerville Avenue). Railroad access began with the opening of the [[Fitchburg Railroad]] in 1843 and then opening of the [[Union Square (MBTA Green Line E branch station)#Commuter Rail|Union Square railroad station]] just west of Webster Avenue. The Boynton Yards area south of the rail line and east of Union Square was created in 1874 when the swampy ground was filled with material from the top of Prospect Hill.<ref name=boynton>{{cite web |url=http://www.unionsquareneighbors.com/boynton-yards.html |title=Boynton Yards |publisher=Union Square Neighbors |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> It became a meat packing and manufacturing district, with a [[slaughterhouse]], [[brickyard]], glass shop, and later other industries.<ref name="spcd" />


After 1853, the square was known as Liberty Pole Square, in honor of the [[liberty pole]] erected there by anti-slavery firemen. In 1861 it was again renamed as Union Square as a pro-reunification gesture for the [[American Civil War]] and after the square's Revolutionary War history.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/36792 |title=The Somerville News Historical Fact of the Week – April 3: Eagle Feathers #23 – Liberty Pole Square |newspaper=The Somerville Times |date=3 April 2013 |last=Doherty |first=Bob |accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref>
After 1853, the square was known as Liberty Pole Square, in honor of the [[liberty pole]] erected there by anti-slavery firemen. In 1861 it was again renamed as Union Square as a pro-reunification gesture for the [[American Civil War]] and after the square's Revolutionary War history.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/36792 |title=The Somerville News Historical Fact of the Week – April 3: Eagle Feathers #23 – Liberty Pole Square |newspaper=The Somerville Times |date=April 3, 2013 |last=Doherty |first=Bob |access-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref>


In 1917, the first [[Marshmallow Fluff]] to be sold in stores was produced in Union Square. In honor of this, since 2006 an annual Somerville Fluff Festival has been held in Union Square.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2013/09/26/where-was-fluff-invented-festival-somerville-2013/ |title=What the Fluff?: The History of Your Favorite Sandwich Confection |magazine=Boston Magazine |date=26 September 2013 |last=Annear |first=Steve |accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref>
In 1917, the first [[Marshmallow Fluff]] to be sold in stores was produced in Union Square. In honor of this, since 2006 an annual Somerville Fluff Festival has been held in Union Square.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2013/09/26/where-was-fluff-invented-festival-somerville-2013/ |title=What the Fluff?: The History of Your Favorite Sandwich Confection |magazine=Boston Magazine |date=September 26, 2013 |last=Annear |first=Steve |access-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref>


Service to the Union Square railroad station ended in 1938, as some local stops on the [[Fitchburg Railroad]] were dropped due to competition from streetcars.<ref name=2004pmt>{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/pmt-old/PMT-3.pdf |title=Chapter 5C: Service Expansion |work=2004 Program for Mass Transportation |author=Central Transportation Planning Staff |publisher=Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization |date=January 2004 |accessdate=5 December 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216095011/http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/pmt-old/PMT-3.pdf |archivedate=16 February 2008}}</ref> By then, Union Square was well served, first by [[Boston Elevated Railway]] streetcars, then by buses.
Service to the Union Square railroad station ended in 1938, as some local stops on the [[Fitchburg Railroad]] were dropped due to competition from streetcars.<ref name=2004pmt>{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/pmt-old/PMT-3.pdf |title=Chapter 5C: Service Expansion |work=2004 Program for Mass Transportation |author=Central Transportation Planning Staff |publisher=Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization |date=January 2004 |access-date=December 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216095011/http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/pmt-old/PMT-3.pdf |archive-date=February 16, 2008}}</ref> By then, Union Square was well served, first by [[Boston Elevated Railway]] streetcars, then by buses.


===Commerce and gentrification===
===Commerce and gentrification===
[[File:Sikhs in Union Square Somerville.jpg|thumb|Members of the Sikh community gathering in Union Square]]
[[File:Sikhs in Union Square Somerville.jpg|thumb|Members of the Sikh community gathering in Union Square]]
Like much of Somerville, Union Square suffered economic decline in the 20th century as wealthy residents moved to more distant suburbs and manufacturing moved away from the area. The city began planning for a revitalization of Boynton Yards in the 1980s, including the construction of South Street to allow trucks to serve lots once only reachable by rail.<ref name=boynton /> The area proceeded to attract new manufacturing, including [[Taza Chocolate]], several breweries, and other food companies.<ref name=boynton /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://boston.eater.com/2015/4/20/8456849/slumbrew-opens-brewery-and-taproom-in-boynton-yards |title=Slumbrew Opens Brewery and Taproom in Boynton Yards |publisher=Boston Eater |last=Cain |first=Jacqueline |date=20 April 2015 |accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref>
Like much of Somerville, Union Square suffered economic decline in the 20th century as wealthy residents moved to more distant suburbs and manufacturing moved away from the area. The city began planning for a revitalization of Boynton Yards in the 1980s, including the construction of South Street to allow trucks to serve lots once only reachable by rail.<ref name=boynton /> The area proceeded to attract new manufacturing, including [[Taza Chocolate]], several breweries, and other food companies.<ref name=boynton /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://boston.eater.com/2015/4/20/8456849/slumbrew-opens-brewery-and-taproom-in-boynton-yards |title=Slumbrew Opens Brewery and Taproom in Boynton Yards |publisher=Boston Eater |last=Cain |first=Jacqueline |date=April 20, 2015 |access-date=July 7, 2015}}</ref> The city approved a cluster of four life sciences laboratory-office buildings (the first in Somerville), of which 101 South Street opened in 2022, 808 Windsor is expected to open in 2024.<ref>[https://boyntonyards.com/news Boynton Yards - News]</ref>


With rents lower than nearby Cambridge, Union Square attracted new immigrant populations towards the end of the 20th century, including large groups of Brazilian, Punjabi, and Sikh residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/18679 |title=Get a taste of Brazilian culture in Union Square |publisher=Somerville News |date=8 September 2008 |accessdate=7 July 2015 |last=Twardzik |first=Cathleen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/6540 |title=Somerville celebrates Punjabi, Sikh cultures in Union Square |publisher=Somerville News |date=5 September 2010 |accessdate=7 July 2015 |last=Troutman |first=Ashley}}</ref> Many markets in the area are run by and cater to the various ethnic groups that live in and around Union Square.
With rents lower than nearby Cambridge, Union Square attracted new immigrant populations towards the end of the 20th century, including large groups of Brazilian, Punjabi, and Sikh residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/18679 |title=Get a taste of Brazilian culture in Union Square |publisher=Somerville News |date=September 8, 2008 |access-date=July 7, 2015 |last=Twardzik |first=Cathleen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/6540 |title=Somerville celebrates Punjabi, Sikh cultures in Union Square |publisher=Somerville News |date=September 5, 2010 |access-date=July 7, 2015 |last=Troutman |first=Ashley}}</ref> Many markets in the area are run by and cater to the various ethnic groups that live in and around Union Square.


Union Square's location at the juncture of working-class East Somerville and the city's tonier western sections have made it the focal point of changing demographics. More upscale cafes, bars, and restaurants have opened since the 1990s, bringing [[gentrification]] deeper into Somerville. [[Union Square Main Streets]], a local development group, began running a Saturday morning [[farmers' market]] in 2005 as one of its first visible efforts in the square.<ref>{{cite press release |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050613022308/http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/NewsDetail.cfm?instance_id=682 |url=http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/NewsDetail.cfm?instance_id=682 |archivedate=13 June 2005 |title=Somerville’s Union Square Debuts Weekly Farmers' Market on Saturday June 11 |date=9 June 2005 |publisher=City of Somerville |accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref> A landscaped community garden with regularly scheduled concerts and artistic events sits just outside Union Square at the site of an old school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thegrowingcenter.org |title=Somerville Community Growing Center Homepage |publisher=The Growing Center |accessdate=3 July 2015}}</ref>
Union Square's location at the juncture of working-class East Somerville and the city's tonier western sections have made it the focal point of changing demographics. More upscale cafes, bars, and restaurants have opened since the 1990s, bringing [[gentrification]] deeper into Somerville. [[Union Square Main Streets]], a local development group, began running a Saturday morning [[farmers' market]] in 2005 as one of its first visible efforts in the square.<ref>{{cite press release |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050613022308/http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/NewsDetail.cfm?instance_id=682 |url=http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/NewsDetail.cfm?instance_id=682 |archive-date=June 13, 2005 |title=Somerville's Union Square Debuts Weekly Farmers' Market on Saturday June 11 |date=June 9, 2005 |publisher=City of Somerville |access-date=July 7, 2015}}</ref> A landscaped community garden with regularly scheduled concerts and artistic events sits just outside Union Square at the site of an old school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thegrowingcenter.org |title=Somerville Community Growing Center Homepage |publisher=The Growing Center |access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref>


==Transportation==
==Transportation==
[[File:Fitchburg Line train passing Union Square station site, July 2015.JPG|thumb|right|Site of the future Green Line station in July 2015]]
[[File:Train_arriving_at_Union_Square_station,_March_2022.JPG|thumb|right|Union Square station on the first day of service in March 2022]]
[[Union Square station (Somerville)|Union Square station]] on the [[MBTA Green Line]], located on Prospect Street south of Union Square, opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the [[Green Line Extension]] project.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lisinski |first=Chris |date=February 24, 2022 |title=Green Line Extension service to begin March 21 |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/02/24/mbta-somerville-green-line-open |access-date=February 25, 2022 |website=WBUR}}</ref> [[East Somerville station]], located on Washington Street east of the square, opened on December 12, 2022.<ref name=dec12>{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/11/17/green-line-extension-medford-branch-opening-december-mbta |title=Final stretch of Green Line Extension will open Dec. 12 |newspaper=WBUR |first=Chris |last=Lisinski |date=November 17, 2022 |access-date=November 17, 2022}}</ref> Union Square is also a minor hub for [[MBTA bus]] service, with 5 routes passing through:
Union Square is a minor hub for [[MBTA Bus]] service, with 5 routes passing through:
<!-- these are the official route names used by the MBTA. Do not change them.-->
<!-- these are the official route names used by the MBTA. Do not change them.-->
*'''[[85 (MBTA bus)|85]]''' [[Spring Hill, Somerville, Massachusetts|Spring Hill]] to [[Kendall/MIT (MBTA station)|Kendall/M.I.T. Station]] via Summer Street & Union Square
*[[85 (MBTA bus)|85]] [[Spring Hill, Somerville, Massachusetts|Spring Hill]]–[[Kendall/MIT (MBTA station)|Kendall/M.I.T. station]] via Summer Street & Union Square
*'''[[86 (MBTA bus)|86]]''' [[Sullivan Square (MBTA station)|Sullivan Station]] - [[Reservoir (MBTA station)|Reservoir]] (Cleveland Circle) via [[Harvard Square|Harvard/Johnston Gate]]
*[[86 (MBTA bus)|86]] [[Sullivan Square (MBTA station)|Sullivan station]]–[[Reservoir (MBTA station)|Reservoir]] (Cleveland Circle) via [[Harvard Square|Harvard/Johnston Gate]]
*'''[[87 (MBTA bus)|87]]''' Arlington Center or Clarendon Hill - Lechmere Station via Somerville Avenue
*[[87 (MBTA bus)|87]] Arlington Center or Clarendon Hill–Lechmere station via Somerville Avenue
*'''[[91 (MBTA bus)|91]]''' [[Sullivan Square (MBTA station)|Sullivan Square Station]] - [[Central Square, Cambridge|Central Square]] via Washington Street
*[[91 (MBTA bus)|91]] [[Sullivan Square (MBTA station)|Sullivan Square station]]–[[Central Square, Cambridge|Central Square]] via Washington Street
*'''[[CT2 (MBTA bus)|CT2]]''' Sullivan Station - [[Ruggles Station]] via Kendall/MIT
*[[CT2 (MBTA bus)|CT2]] Sullivan station–[[Ruggles station]] via Kendall/MIT
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{{clear}}

===Green Line Extension===
As part of the [[Green Line Extension]] project, [[Union Square (MBTA Green Line "E" Branch station)|Union Square station]] is being built just south of the square. In September 2013, the state secured funding and signed a 51-month $393 million contract that would allow Union Square station, along with the new [[Washington Street (MBTA Green Line "D" Branch station)|Washington Street station]] and relocated [[Lechmere (MBTA station)|Lechmere station]], to open in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2013/12/05/somerville-poised-grow-along-green-line/OnY8VW8fhT8aVZqKcw4X2K/story.html |title= Somerville poised to grow along Green Line |last1= Rosenberg |first1= Steven A. |date= 5 December 2013 |newspaper= The Boston Globe |accessdate=7 December 2013}}</ref> Union Square station was expected to open in December 2017.<ref name=nov2014>{{cite web |url=http://greenlineextension.eot.state.ma.us/documents/PubMtgs/staDesign/Washington_Union_presentation110614.pdf |title=Washington Street and Union Square Stations: November 6, 2014 |date=6 November 2014 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |accessdate=5 July 2015}}</ref> However, {{as of|December 2015}}, the future of the project is in doubt due to a substantial increase in costs; it will likely be further delayed or cancelled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/12/14/transit-officials-won-commit-more-state-money-green-line-extension/oUrryP4kQA2x4d52X7PaIP/story.html |title=Transit officials won’t commit additional state money to Green Line extension |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=14 December 2015 |last=Vaccaro |first=Adam |accessdate=15 December 2015}}</ref>

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{{Clear}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Union Square (Somerville, Massachusetts)}}
{{commons category}}
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{{commons category|Prospect Hill Park (Somerville, Massachusetts)}}
* [http://www.unionsquaremain.org/ Union Square Main Streets]
* [http://www.unionsquaremain.org/ Union Square Main Streets]
* [http://www.muldermedia.com/prospecthill/ Prospect Hill History & Photos]
* [http://www.muldermedia.com/prospecthill/ Prospect Hill History & Photos]

Latest revision as of 00:13, 21 April 2024

42°22′47″N 71°05′47″W / 42.3797°N 71.0964°W / 42.3797; -71.0964

Union Square in December 2021

Union Square is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. It is centered on Union Square proper, which is located at the intersection of Washington Street, Webster Avenue, and Somerville Avenue.

The name "Union Square" comes from the square having been used as a recruitment and mustering site for the Union Army in the Civil War. A plaque commemorating the mustering site sits at the southwestern corner of the square between Somerville Avenue and Washington Street, and the Prospect Hill Monument is located several blocks away atop Prospect Hill. Union Square is now the commercial center of a primarily residential neighborhood with many restaurants, bars and neighborhood stores.

As the oldest and largest commercial area in the city, Union Square is home to a number of community institutions, including the Somerville Police headquarters, Somerville Community Access Television (SCATV), and Boston Free Radio.[1]

History[edit]

Sand Pit Square[edit]

Union Square was Somerville's earliest commercial district to develop when it was still a part of Charlestown. Early trade routes passed through the square and a tavern was built there as early as 1770. Originally called "Sand Pit Square," the area's sandy, clay pit-dotted pastures yielded a fine grade of silica used in glass and brick-making.[2]

American Revolution[edit]

The Grand Union Flag flying on Prospect Hill Monument, overlooking Union Square

It was during the American Revolution that Union Square took center stage. Because of its location and height providing panoramic views and control of Charlestown, Somerville, and Cambridge, Prospect Hill had great strategic importance in the Revolutionary War and became known as the "Citadel".[3]: 1  The castle, dedicated in 1903, is a monument commemorating the fortifications atop the hill during that war.[3]: 3  A tablet inside reads: "This tablet is erected in memory of the soldiers of the Revolution and of the Civil War who encamped on Prospect Hill and of the banners under which they valiantly fought."[4]

Somerville is one of several locales claiming to have hosted the first raising of the U.S. Flag, called the Grand Union Flag.[2] Tradition claims that George Washington raised the flag on Prospect Hill on January 1, 1776, and a plaque on the hill indicates such.[3]: 2  However, some scholars dispute these traditional accounts, concluding that the flag raised at Prospect Hill was probably a British Union Flag.[5] Since a favorable surrender was then being offered to the rebelling colonists, the raising of a flag similar (or identical) to the Union Jack was briefly mistaken for a gesture of surrender.[6]

Industry growth[edit]

New (left) and old Union Square station buildings on the Fitchburg Railroad in 1911

In its early years, Somerville was an agricultural suburb, supplying the growing urban area surrounding Boston. For a time the Union Square area was known as Milk Row after the small farms surrounding it.[1]

Union Square became a major commercial center during the early 19th century due to its location at an important crossroads. When the Warren Bridge opened to link Charlestown and Boston in 1828, it caused a considerable increase in traffic along Washington Street and Charlestown Lane (now Somerville Avenue). Railroad access began with the opening of the Fitchburg Railroad in 1843 and then opening of the Union Square railroad station just west of Webster Avenue. The Boynton Yards area south of the rail line and east of Union Square was created in 1874 when the swampy ground was filled with material from the top of Prospect Hill.[7] It became a meat packing and manufacturing district, with a slaughterhouse, brickyard, glass shop, and later other industries.[1]

After 1853, the square was known as Liberty Pole Square, in honor of the liberty pole erected there by anti-slavery firemen. In 1861 it was again renamed as Union Square as a pro-reunification gesture for the American Civil War and after the square's Revolutionary War history.[8]

In 1917, the first Marshmallow Fluff to be sold in stores was produced in Union Square. In honor of this, since 2006 an annual Somerville Fluff Festival has been held in Union Square.[9]

Service to the Union Square railroad station ended in 1938, as some local stops on the Fitchburg Railroad were dropped due to competition from streetcars.[10] By then, Union Square was well served, first by Boston Elevated Railway streetcars, then by buses.

Commerce and gentrification[edit]

Members of the Sikh community gathering in Union Square

Like much of Somerville, Union Square suffered economic decline in the 20th century as wealthy residents moved to more distant suburbs and manufacturing moved away from the area. The city began planning for a revitalization of Boynton Yards in the 1980s, including the construction of South Street to allow trucks to serve lots once only reachable by rail.[7] The area proceeded to attract new manufacturing, including Taza Chocolate, several breweries, and other food companies.[7][11] The city approved a cluster of four life sciences laboratory-office buildings (the first in Somerville), of which 101 South Street opened in 2022, 808 Windsor is expected to open in 2024.[12]

With rents lower than nearby Cambridge, Union Square attracted new immigrant populations towards the end of the 20th century, including large groups of Brazilian, Punjabi, and Sikh residents.[13][14] Many markets in the area are run by and cater to the various ethnic groups that live in and around Union Square.

Union Square's location at the juncture of working-class East Somerville and the city's tonier western sections have made it the focal point of changing demographics. More upscale cafes, bars, and restaurants have opened since the 1990s, bringing gentrification deeper into Somerville. Union Square Main Streets, a local development group, began running a Saturday morning farmers' market in 2005 as one of its first visible efforts in the square.[15] A landscaped community garden with regularly scheduled concerts and artistic events sits just outside Union Square at the site of an old school.[16]

Transportation[edit]

Union Square station on the first day of service in March 2022

Union Square station on the MBTA Green Line, located on Prospect Street south of Union Square, opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension project.[17] East Somerville station, located on Washington Street east of the square, opened on December 12, 2022.[18] Union Square is also a minor hub for MBTA bus service, with 5 routes passing through:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Somerville Strategic Planning and Community Development. "Union Square/Boynton Yards". City of Somerville. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Gordon, Edward W. (September 2008). "Union Square Revisited: From Sand Pit to Melting Pot" (PDF). Somerville Historic Preservation Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 13, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Mulder, Steve. "The History of Prospect Hill: Where the first American flag ever flew". Mulder Media. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  4. ^ "Prospect Hill Park 2". CityVoter. Archived from the original on July 2, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  5. ^ Ansoff, Peter (2006). "The Flag on Prospect Hill" (PDF). Raven: A Journal of Vexillology. 13: 77–100. doi:10.5840/raven2006134. ISSN 1071-0043. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  6. ^ Crotty, Rob (September 14, 2010). "A funny thing happened on the way to the Revolutionary War". Prologue: Pieces of History. National Archives. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "Boynton Yards". Union Square Neighbors. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  8. ^ Doherty, Bob (April 3, 2013). "The Somerville News Historical Fact of the Week – April 3: Eagle Feathers #23 – Liberty Pole Square". The Somerville Times. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  9. ^ Annear, Steve (September 26, 2013). "What the Fluff?: The History of Your Favorite Sandwich Confection". Boston Magazine. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  10. ^ Central Transportation Planning Staff (January 2004). "Chapter 5C: Service Expansion" (PDF). 2004 Program for Mass Transportation. Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  11. ^ Cain, Jacqueline (April 20, 2015). "Slumbrew Opens Brewery and Taproom in Boynton Yards". Boston Eater. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  12. ^ Boynton Yards - News
  13. ^ Twardzik, Cathleen (September 8, 2008). "Get a taste of Brazilian culture in Union Square". Somerville News. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  14. ^ Troutman, Ashley (September 5, 2010). "Somerville celebrates Punjabi, Sikh cultures in Union Square". Somerville News. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  15. ^ "Somerville's Union Square Debuts Weekly Farmers' Market on Saturday June 11" (Press release). City of Somerville. June 9, 2005. Archived from the original on June 13, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  16. ^ "Somerville Community Growing Center Homepage". The Growing Center. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  17. ^ Lisinski, Chris (February 24, 2022). "Green Line Extension service to begin March 21". WBUR. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Lisinski, Chris (November 17, 2022). "Final stretch of Green Line Extension will open Dec. 12". WBUR. Retrieved November 17, 2022.

External links[edit]

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