Chatham Square

Chatham Square
Public square
Kimlau Square, a park located in Chatham Square; on left is Oliver Street; on right is St. James Place; the statue is Lin Zexu
Nickname(s): Kimlau Square
Chatham Square
Location in New York City
Coordinates: 40°42′49″N 73°59′53″W / 40.71361°N 73.99806°W / 40.71361; -73.99806Coordinates: 40°42′49″N 73°59′53″W / 40.71361°N 73.99806°W / 40.71361; -73.99806
Country United States
State New York
City New York City
Borough Manhattan

Chatham Square is a major intersection in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City. The square lies at the confluence of eight streets: the Bowery, Doyers Street, East Broadway, St. James Place, Mott Street, Oliver Street, Worth Street and Park Row. The small park in the center of the square is known as Kimlau Square[1] and Lin Ze Xu Square.[2]

History

Chatham Square in 1905

Chatham Square was named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister of Great Britain before the American Revolution. Pitt Street in the Lower East Side is also named for him, and Park Row was once Chatham Street.[3]

Up until about 1820, the square was used as a large open air market for goods and livestock, mainly horses. By the mid-19th century, it became a center for tattoo parlors, flophouses and saloons, as a seedy section of the old Five Points neighborhood. In the 20th century, after The Great Depression and Prohibition, the area was reformed.

The Kimlau Memorial Arch was erected by the American Legion, Lt. B.R. Kimlau Post 1291 in 1961 to honor United States service members of Chinese ancestry who have fought and died serving their country. The arch is named after 26-year-old 2nd Lt. Benjamin Ralph Kimlau, an aircraft commander in the 380th Bombardment Group who was shot down on a mission over Los Negros Island on March 5, 1944 during World War II.[4] The memorial was designed by Poy G. Lee,[5] and bears calligraphy by noted Chinese calligrapher and poet Yu Youren (于右任). There also is a larger-than-lifesize bronze statue of Lin Zexu in the square sculpted by Li Wei-Si.[2]

Transportation

Chatham Square was a major station on both the Second Avenue Elevated Line and the Third Avenue Elevated Line, until they closed in 1942 and 1955, respectively. As of 2007, a new Second Avenue Subway line to replace those elevated lines is under construction. The line's Phase 1 is being built from 63rd Street to 96th Street. A new station is proposed for Chatham Square as part of Phase 4.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Kimlau Square" on the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website
  2. 1 2 "Kimlau Square: Lin Ze Xu" on the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website
  3. ↑ Moscow, Henry (1978). The Street Book: An Encyclopedia of Manhattan's Street Names and Their Origins. New York City, New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN 0-8232-1275-0.
  4. ↑ "Kimlau Square: History" on the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website
  5. ↑ "Kimlau Square: Kimlau War Memorial" on the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website

See also


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