Maverick Square

Maverick Square is a section of the neighborhood of East Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is East Boston's oldest commercial center.^[1] At the heart of the square is Maverick Station, which is part of the Blue Line of the MBTA. The square is named after Samuel Maverick, one of the earliest colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[2]

Maverick Square occupies land that was originally part of Noddle's Island. In 1833, General William H. Sumner and other investors formed the East Boston Company to develop the island for residential and industrial use; steam ferry service began from Maverick Square to Rowe's Wharf on the mainland of Boston.^[3] To encourage tourism, the Company built a wharf and the Maverick House, an 80-room luxury hotel (1835). In 1840, the Cunard transatlantic mail service established its terminus at the East Boston wharf. By the 1850s, the waterfront had become a hub of shipbuilding, with various industries and warehouses along the water's edge, while Maverick Square became the neighborhood's commercial and banking center.^[4]

Continuing into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Maverick Square functioned as a central commercial hub for East Boston. In recent decades, however, parts of the neighborhood faced challenges such as housing issues and crime, leading to revitalization efforts in the 21st century.

The Maverick public housing project, formerly a source of high crime rates, underwent significant redevelopment. Trinity Financial and the East Boston Community Development Corporation led the redesign,^[5] which included the demolition of outdated high-rise buildings, and constructing new individual homes with private access. These efforts were part of the broader revitalization of Maverick Square, which made improvements in safety, cleanliness, and vibrancy in the general neighborhood.^[6]

In 2010, a revitalization of Maverick Square began. It involved a $56 million renovation of the Maverick MBTA Station, and a $24 million building for the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (now NeighborHealth), located at 20 Maverick Square. The 49,000 square-foot facility opened in 2012, significantly expanding medical care in the neighborhood.^[7]

Historic buildings

1835-1837 Fettyplace - Thorndike House (47 Maverick Square)^[8]
1835 Joshua Pollard House (33 Maverick Square)^[8]

References

^ "East Boston: Maverick Square and Beyond". Boston by Foot. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
^ "Name That Square". The Boston Globe. November 30, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
^ Boston Landmarks Commission (1994). "East Boston: Exploring Boston's Neighborhoods (brochure)" (PDF). Exploring Boston's Neighborhoods. Environment Department, City of Boston.
^ Historic Boston Incorporated (2015). "Maverick and Central Squares, East Boston". Commercial Casebook: East Boston (PDF). Historic Boston Inc.
^ "Maverick Landing". www.trinityfinancial.com. Retrieved August 4, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^ "Maverick Landing". EBCDC. Retrieved August 4, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^ Fitzgerald, Jay (September 20, 2011). "Transformation taking root in Maverick Square". The Boston Globe.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^ ^a ^b "East Boston's Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them". Boston Preservation Alliance. June 16, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.

v t e Streets and squares in Boston
East–west streets	Beacon Street Boylston Street Commonwealth Avenue Congress Street Cornhill Court Street Day Boulevard Dedham Parkway Fenway Gallivan Boulevard Huntington Avenue Melnea Cass Boulevard Milk Street Neptune Road New Chardon Street Newbury Street Park Street Soldiers Field Road State Street Storrow Drive Summer Street Tremont Street Tremont Row Winter Street
North–south streets	Arborway Atlantic Avenue Blue Hills Parkway Bowdoin Street Brattle Street Brookline Avenue Charles Street Columbus Avenue Dorchester Avenue Enneking Parkway Federal Street Franklin Street Hanover Street Jamaicaway Jersey Street (Yawkey Way) Massachusetts Avenue Morrissey Boulevard Morton Street North Street Park Drive Riverway School Street Truman Parkway Turtle Pond Parkway Union Street Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway Washington Street West Boundary Road West Roxbury Parkway
Intersections	Adams Square Andrew Square Blackstone Square Brigham Circle Central Square Chester Square City Square Cleveland Circle Codman Square Copley Square Day Square Dewey Square Dock Square Downtown Crossing Egleston Square Fields Corner Franklin Square Haymarket Square Hyde Square Jackson Square Kenmore Square Louisburg Square Mass and Cass Maverick Square North Square Nubian Square (Dudley Square) Packard's Corner Park Square Peabody Square Post Office Square Roxbury Crossing Scollay Square Sullivan Square Thompson Square Union Square Uphams Corner Winthrop Square
Italics denote streets and squares that no longer exist. See also Neighborhoods in Boston Transportation in Boston

Maverick Square

Historic buildings

References

See also