Origins of Union Hill, Part 5

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
by frank.callahan

During the 1840s, Worcester had become a booming center for the American Industrial Revolution spurring tremendous population growth. In that decade, the town’s population more than doubled from 7,497 inhabitants in 1840 to 17,049 in 1850. This impelled the town to change its form of government; thus Worcester incorporated as a city in 1848.

By the end of the decade, the planning of residential neighborhoods became a pattern on Union Hill and even drew outside speculators. Most of the plot plans had been drawn up by a local named John Pond, but in 1849 a former resident purchased the northwest end of Union Hill bordering the beginning of Grafton Street. Joshua R. Bigelow of Boston, Massachusetts bought the parcels from Charles and Sarah Chamberlain of Mobile, Alabama. The price was $700, and the transfer was completed on July 18, 1849. (Worc. Co. Deeds, Bk 454, P.29).

While neither the buyer nor the sellers lived in Worcester at the time of the transaction, they had all once been residents. Bigelow had been born in the north county town of Templeton on January 8, 1817 and on November 30, 1841 married Ruth H. Hathaway in Worcester. The History of Worcester: from its Earliest Settlement, by William Lincoln lists Joshua on the muster role of 1843 of the Worcester Guards. He must have settled in Boston within a few years as the Bigelow family genealogy book mentions he was engaged in the mercantile business there. Crane’s history of Worcester lists Charles Thomas Chamberlain as being born on May 30, 1811 and on September 21, 1841, he married Sarah E. Hathaway in Worcester. There were several other Chamberlain family members in Mobile, Alabama, so it is likely that is why Charles and Sarah made their way to the South. It does not appear that Sarah and Ruth were sisters, but it is very possible they were related.

It appears that Bigelow had the land surveyed prior to the purchase because Providence Street is listed in the agreement.  This is important as it is the first reference to what would be become the main thoroughfare through the Union Hill neighborhood.  The plot plan is in a collection at the Worcester Public Library which is indexed, but the name of the surveyor and the date are not indicated on the drawing.  Though lacking documentation, the plot plan is impressive in its complexity. 

 Clearly, it is more ambitious than a simple plan for a residential neighborhood.  For instance, it called for Providence to intersect at a single point with two major avenues: Water Street and Grafton Street.  In effect, this  made Providence Street a major thoroughfare connecting to the top of Union Hill and even beyond.  As the name implies, it was to be a long avenue that was probably designed to connect the center of Worcester to Providence, Rhode Island. 

Plan for lower Providence Street, from Worcester Public Library collections

The shape of the plan is a pyramid divided in the middle by Providence Street.  The three existing avenues: Water, Harrison, and Grafton formed its borders and four small streets were created in the design: Waverley, Coral, and Ledge streets and Penn Avenue.  Coral Street and Penn Avenue run parallel to the east of Providence Street, but the remaining two are at different angles. 

At the higher end of the hill, the plan calls for Waverley Street to be perpendicular to Providence Street.  In the design, Waverley Street is spelled with an “e” in the last syllable and that is significant.  Ivan Sandroff’s book on Worcester street names mentions that several Worcester streets names were inspired by literature and Waverley was one of them.  In the Nineteenth Century, Walter Scott’s Waverley was a bestselling novel about a young Englishman caught up in the Jacobite rebellion.  Its theme of tolerance may have been the inspiration for the street name. 

Lower Providence Street, from Worcester Public Library Collections

Waverley merged with the still smaller Ledge Street just before ending at Harrison Street.  It is likely that Ledge Street gained its name from the ledge that is along that edge of the hill and today can be seen along the side of the highway.  In the 1950s, Ledge Street was taken by eminent domain for the construction of Interstate 290. 

While this plot plan was smaller than the others on Union Hill, it has had the most impact on the character of the neighborhood in making it a major connector to other cities and towns and other sections of the City of Worcester.

Worcester Map showing Providence Street, courtesy Worcester Historical Museum

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