CHELSEA'S STREET NAMES

Most of the streets in Chelsea were named after famous Americans, land owners, businessmen, politicians or local inhabitants. The following table lists most of the streets in Chelsea and where their name originated. The second table lists streets that have either had their name changed or no longer exist. Most of the streets that no longer exist were eliminated during the reconstruction of the city after the destruction of a large part of the city from the Chelsea Fire of 1908.

STREET

NAMED FOR

Bassett Street

For Samuel Bassett former town and city clerk

Bellingham Square

Governor Bellingham Born: 1592 Died: 1672

Bellingham Street

Governor Bellingham Born: 1592 Died: 1672

Cabot Street

Samuel Cabot founder of the Cabot Company at 229 Marginal Street

Cary Avenue & Square

The Cary Family's large farm

Cheever Street

For John Cheever who was a land owner in the area

Clark Avenue

Treasurer of the Cary Land Company

Columbus Avenue

Christopher Columbus

Congress Avenue

An act of Congress put through the Marine Hospital

Cook Avenue

For A. N. Cook a landowner in the Woodlawn area

County Road

Suffolk County

Cross Street

Created and named by the Board of Control

Division Street

A divide between Broadway and Hawthorne Street

Eastern Avenue

Named as a result of a petition from North Chelsea to the county commission

Eleanor Street

Eleanor Clark the wife of the one time treasurer of the Cary Land Company

Essex Street

Essex County

Eustis Street

For James C. F. Eustis a property owner

Everett Avenue

Originally Malden Street was a direct road to Malden before it was changed to Everett

Fay Square

For Mayor Frank B. Fay, Chelsea's first mayor in 1857

Ferry Street

Old road from the Winnisimmet Ferry

Fitz Terrace

Mayor Eustace C. Fitz, 4th Mayor of Chelsea 1864 - 1866

Forbes Street

Connected Crescent Avenue to Forbes Lithograph Company

Forsyth Street

Mayor James B. Forsyth, 6th Mayor of Chelsea 1869 - 1870

Franklin Street

Benjamin Franklin

Front Street

Near the waterfront

Garfield Avenue

President Garfield

Gerrish Avenue

George W. Gerrish property owner

Gilman Place

Land owner of the area

Grandview Road

Because of the spectacular view

Green Street

Mayor Thomas Green, 9th Mayor of Chelsea 1876

Hawthorne Street

Hawthorne bushes in great number lined the lane to Shurtleff Street

Hillside Avenue

Road was situated on the side of a hill

Hancock Street

John Hancock

Howell Court

Original owner of the land area

Jones Avenue

For William T. Jones the owner of Jones milk farm and barn located in the Prattville area

Kimball Road

Sylvester Kimball realtor

Lambert Avenue

Former postmaster

Lash Street

Robert Lash a masonic leader

Locke Street

Farther Locke, friend of the poor

Luther Place

Owner of the brick yard

Marginal Street

Margin of water

Matthews Place

Nathan Matthews one time president of the Ferry Company

Maverick Street

For Samuel Maverick first settler of Chelsea

Max Address Square

For the first Jewish boy killed in WW1

Murray Street

Michael Murray a dealer & marketer of garden produce - Patrick Murray - farm and land owner in Prattville

Nichols Street

For the old Nichols family

Revere Beach Parkway

State road and direct route to Revere and Revere Beach

Reynolds Avenue

For the partner of Reynolds & Bryant real estate owners in 1885

Sagamore Avenue

Sagamore indians who resided in Prattville

Suffolk Street

Suffolk County

Washington Avenue

George Washington - First U. S, President

Williams Street

For Thomas Williams a member of the Board of Selectmen

STREET NAME CHANGES

OLD NAME

NEW NAME

LOCATION

Middlesex Street

Congress Avenue

From Shurtleff Street to Marginal Street

Sharon Street

No longer exists

From the Old County Road to the marsh

Third Street

 

From Park Street to Cedar Street

Cedar Street

Arlington Street

From Williams Street to the old Carter Farm

Church Alley

No longer exists

From Broadway to Division

Lebanon Street

No longer exists

From the Old County Road to the marsh

Malden Street

Everett Avenue

From Broadway to the marsh

Matthews Street

Bass Creek/Eastern Avenue

From Broadway to the marsh

Union Row

No longer exists

On Suffolk Street east of Shawmut Street

Cypress Street

Carter Street

From Auburn Street to Orange Street

Vogel Street

Forsyth Street

From Cary Square to Parker Street

Chelsea Street

Chester Avenue

Same

China Street

Franklin Avenue

From Forsyth Street to Spruce Street

Dana Street

Eastern Avenue

From Dudley Street to Crescent Avenue

Dix Place

No longer exists

Third Street to 110 Arlington Street

Cedar Place

No longer exists

14 Arlington Street

Cottage Place

No longer exists

16 Cottage Street

Farrell Place

No longer exists

115 Second Street

Gilman Place

No longer exists

19 Williams Street

Gilmore Place

No longer exists

122 Second Street

Greenmount Street

Harvard Street

Same, from Washington Avenue to the Everett line

Hancock Avenue

No longer exists

End of Spruce Street to Summit Avenue (Powderhorn Hill)

Howard Street

No longer exists

175 Webster Avenue

Spiers Place

No longer exists

105 Second Street

Warren Street

Nichols Street

Nichols Street side of Washington Park

Webster Avenue

Revere Beach Parkway

Union Street to the Everett Line.