North Square, Historic square in North End, Boston, US.
North Square is a small open space in Boston's North End neighborhood in Massachusetts, where five streets meet at a single point. The buildings around it date from different periods and reflect how the area changed over time.
The square was originally called Clarke's Square before being renamed in 1788. A major fire in 1676 destroyed much of the surrounding neighborhood, and residents rebuilt the area in the years that followed.
The square is framed by two historic houses that are open to visitors and give a sense of life in the 17th and 18th centuries. Walking through this small open space, you can see how the North End once served as home to some of Boston's most prominent families.
The square sits along the Freedom Trail, a marked walking route through Boston's historic center, and can be reached on foot from most other sites in the North End. Visiting early in the day gives you more space to look around without many other people nearby.
The house that William Clark built on this square had 26 rooms across three floors, making it one of the largest private homes in Boston at the time. That building still stands today, even though the square itself was renamed away from the Clark family name in 1788.
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