For many years Chelsea Square has been a thriving center of
business, politics, entertainment and civic ceremonies. In the 19th
century, as more and more people settled in Chelsea, the traffic, to
and from the ferry landing on Winnisimmet Street made Chelsea Square
an ideal location for business. In 1848 Abraham Lincoln spoke at a
Whig Party Rally at Gerrish Hall, 165 Winnisimmet Street.
Right next door at the Acadimy of Music, the citizens of
Chelsea could see the finest dramatic and musical performers of the
day. In 1867 Chelsea celebrated the installation of a city water
system with a new fountain in the square. Some of Chelsea’s oldest
buildings still line Chelsea Square today. The City Revitalization
Program, launched in 1977, has brought new landscaping, lights and
benches to the square. Once again water is flowing from the 1896
Stebbins Fountain, for the first time in half a century. Today a
revitalized Chelsea Square is continuing to serve the needs of its
residents, while retaining the flavor of the city’s past.
