Jamaica Plain

Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood of 4.4 square miles (11 km²) in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was originally part of the former Town of Roxbury, now also a part of Boston. In the 19th century, Jamaica Plain became one of the first streetcar suburbs in America. It is home to a significant portion of Boston's Emerald Necklace of parks, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. In 2020, the community had a population of 41,012 according to the U.S. Census. The community seceded from Roxbury in 1851, and became part ofBoston when West Roxbury was annexed in 1874. In 1655, the English navy took the island of Jamaica from the Spanish, so it is also possible the area was named to honor this recent British victory. There are a number of theories regarding the origin of the name "Jamaicas Plain". A well-known theory traces the origin to "Jamas rum", a reference to Jamaican cane sugar's role in the Triangle Trade of sugar, rum, and slaves. In 1769 the community's first church was built paid for by Susannah and Benjamin Pemberton before permission was granted from the two existing parishes. The original white clapboard building was replaced by the Romanesque Revival building in 1854. The church was the only one in Jamaica Plain for seventy years and during that time became the only Unitarian church in the area.

History

Jamaica Plain is the primary city name, but also Boston are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Jamaica Plain. The name "Jamaica" first appears on maps for the area of Roxbury between Stony Brook and the Great Pond. In 1655, the English navy took the island of Jamaica from the Spanish, so it is also possible the area was named to honor this recent British victory. In 1769, the community's first church was built paid for by Susannah and Benjamin Pemberton before permission was granted from the two existing parishes. During the occupation of Boston, the colonial assembly met in this building. The church was the only church in Jamaica Plain for seventy years and during that time became one of the original Unitarian churches and continues on the same site now known as the First Church. The Minutemen from the Third Parish fought at Lexington Bunker Hill under the command of Captain Lemuel Child and are commemorated on a plaque next to the Civil War Monument.In 1775, General Washington troops from Rhode Island and Connecticut were quartered with residents of Jamaica Plain and replaced by the rising elite of the Boston elite. The estate once owned by John Hancock purchased an estate near the pond near the Arnold Arboretum in 1777. With the American Revolution, many of the estate's owners fled the country, and were replaced by new owners of the new estate. The American estate was kept, in case the British broke the British siege of Boston. In 1854, the original white clapboard building was replaced by a stone Romanesque Revival building in 1854 designed by architect Nathaniel Bradlee.

Geography

Jamaica Plain is made up of a number of distinct historical subdistricts. Some of the names are now archaic, used less by longtime residents than scholars and real estate agents. The community contains or is bordered by jewels of the Emerald Necklace park system designed in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted. It is one of the greenest neighborhoods in the city of Boston, often referred to as "the Eden of America," [1] and is home to the Franklin Park Zoo and the William J. Devine Memorial Golf Course. It also contains Peters' Hill, named for Boston Mayor Andrew J. Peters, the highest elevation in Jamaica Plain at 235 feet (72 m) and the largest body of fresh water in Boston, at 60 acres (240,000 m2) The area was once known as the "Eden of America" because of its large amount of green space, including ponds, lakes, ponds, and fields. It was also known as "The Eden of the East" because it was home to many of the city's most famous landmarks, including the Boston Opera House, the Boston Public Library, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. It has been called "the most beautiful city in the world" since the early 20th century, when it was considered to be the most beautiful neighborhood in the United States. The city is also known for its many parks, many of which are connected by parkways, such as the Arborway and the Jamaicaway.

Education

Jamaica Plain is home to Boston Public Schools. The English High School is one of the first public high schools in America. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston operates Roman Catholic schools. Our Lady of Lourdes School, a K8 school and the last Catholic school in Jamaica Plain, will close unless parents raise $500,000 for one additional year of instruction. Private schools in the area include the British School of Boston and Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture. The area is home of the Boston Marathon bombings. The city is also home to the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins, and the Boston Celtics. The Red Sox won the World Series of Baseball in 2004 and 2006. The Celtics won the Super Bowl in 2004, 2006, and 2008. The Boston Marathon took place on September 11, 2004. It was the first time the Red Sox had won a World Series since 1966. The Patriots won their first World Series game on September 12, 2004, against the Yankees. The Sox won their second World Series on September 14, 2006. They won their third World Series victory on September 16, 2007. The Bruins won their fourth World Series win on September 17, 2007, against  the Reds. The game was played in front of a crowd of more than 100,000 people. The score was 1-0 in favor of the Sox in the final game of the 2004-05 season. The match was played on the same day that the Sox beat the Red Sox.

Transportation

Major roads are Centre Street, the Jamaicaway (formerly US 1), the Arborway (MA 203), Washington Street, South Street, and South Huntington Avenue. Buses connect Jamaica Plain with Roslindale, West Roxbury, Hyde Park, and suburban Dedham, Westwood and Walpole to the south, and the rest of Boston by street routes. The Forest Hills Station is a major transportation hub and is within walking distance of the Arnold Arboretum and Forest Hills Cemetery. There are few parking meters in Jamaica Plain; on-street parking is free. Many streets near the MBTA Orange Line stations are posted "resident permit only" during working hours (8 AM to 6 PM). This is intended to discourage commuters from using residential streets as parking lots during the day. Two major bicycle paths serve Jamaica Plain. Along the Southwest Corridor Park is the Pierre Lallement Bicycle Path, which runs from Forest Hills to Back Bay. To the west are bicycle paths, which run through the parks of the Emerald Necklace, along the Jamaicaicaway and Riverway. Some residents and commuters want the restoration of the E branch streetcar service, which was suspended in the mid-1980s. The E branch was "temporarily" suspended from Heath Street to Forest Hills in the 1980s, but proposals to restore the service have caused considerable tension in the area. The 39 bus is the primary Jamaica Plain bus route, and is one of Boston's most-used bus lines.