Jackson Square station

File:New grade of Centre Street at Hoggs Bridge, 1896.JPG

The Boston and Providence Railroad opened through Roxbury in June 1834. Local stations were gradually added; trains began serving Heath Street around the 1850s.{{cite journal |doi=10.2307/3111453 |title=Commuter Services in the Boston Area, 1835-1860 |journal=The Business History Review |volume=36 |issue=2 |date=Summer 1962 |pages=153–170 |first=Charles J. |last=Kennedy|jstor=3111453 |s2cid=154294514 }}{{rp|154}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/boston-evening-transcript/131858250/ |title=The Ovation to Gen. Corcoran |newspaper=Boston Evening Transcript |date=August 29, 1862 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1867, the Massachusetts legislature ordered the railroad to build a new station building at New Heath Street, slightly to the north.{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFVNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA727 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFVNAQAAMAAJ |page=727 |chapter=Chapter 336: An Act Requiring The Boston And Providence Railroad Company To Erect A Station House In Roxbury |year=1867 |title=Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Court of Massachusetts |publisher=Massachusetts General Court}} The new station was completed in 1872.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/boston-evening-transcript/131020110/ |title=Annual Meeting of the Boston & Providence Railroad Company |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=November 21, 1872 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_CtRAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA6 |page=6 |title=Report of the Board of Directors of the Boston and Providence Railroad Corporation for the Year Ending September 30, 1872 |date=November 20, 1872 |publisher=Boston and Providence Railroad Corporation}} It was a one-story wood building located on the west side of the tracks north of Heath Street (rather than at New Heath Street).{{cite map |url=https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:tt44pv61s |title=Atlas of the city of Boston : Roxbury, Mass. : volume three |year=1888 |publisher=G.W. Bromley & Co. |page=Plate 32 |no-pp=yes |map=Part of Ward 22, Boston |scale=1:600 |last1=Bromley |first1=Walter Scott |last2=Bromley |first2=George Washington}}{{cite map |map-url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3764bm.g03693188803/?sp=62 |url=http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3764bm.g03693188803 |map=Plate 91 |title=Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts |volume=3 |year=1888 |publisher=Sanborn Map Company |scale=1:600}}

Starting in 1891, the Old Colony Railroad (acquired in 1893 by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad) raised the section of its main line through Jamaica Plain (extending from Massachusetts Avenue to {{bts|Forest Hills}}) onto a 4-track stone embankment to eliminate dangerous grade crossings. The project involved the replacement of the five NYNH&H stations in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain; the new elevated stations opened on June 1, 1897.{{cite web|url=http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/14305/22801055/1369930556993/HistoryForestHills.pdf?token=XLOMuLggdz6fkE%2FtzQUYjWKTBXI%3D|title=A HISTORY OF FOREST HILLS|publisher=Jamaica Plain Historical Society|author=Heath, Richard|date=January 25, 2013 |accessdate=February 13, 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/jamaica_plain/2012/11/history_time_raising_the_railr.html |title=Raising the railroad in Forest Hills |newspaper=Boston Globe |author=Rocheleau, Matt |date=November 26, 2012 |accessdate=February 12, 2016}}

On November 22, 1909, the Washington Street Elevated was extended south from {{bts|Dudley Square}} (now Nubian Square) to Forest Hills.{{NETransit}} Although the five NYNH&H stations in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain continued to operate, they were ultimately unable to compete with the Elevated. Heath Street station closed in the early 1930s.

{{clear left}}

File:Jackson Square MBTA Orange Line Station, May 2025.jpg

In the 1960s, plans took hold to extend I-95 into downtown Boston along the NYNH&H's right-of-way and to replace the Washington Street Elevated (after 1967 known as the Orange Line) with a rapid transit line running in the new highway's median. Although the project was halted by highway revolts in 1969 and the February 11, 1970 announcement by Governor Francis W. Sargent of a moratorium on new highway construction within the Route 128 corridor, and eventually cancelled by Governor Sargent in 1972, the right-of-way had already been cleared. This empty strip of land (known as the Southwest Corridor) was eventually developed into the Southwest Corridor Park, and the Orange Line was moved to a new alignment along the Corridor in 1987 despite the cancellation of the project originally calling for its relocation. This included a new rapid transit station, Jackson Square, at Centre Street south of the former NYNH&H station. The Washington Street Elevated was permanently closed on April 30, 1987, and the new southern half of the Orange Line, including Stony Brook, opened on May 4.

In 2004, the MBTA added murals as well as better lighting and new sidewalks after a spree of violent crimes near the station. The improvements at the station were designed to reduce criminal activity as well as provide a more welcoming atmosphere for transit riders.{{cite press release |url=http://www.mbta.com/insidethet/press_releases_details.asp?ID=1079 |title=Jackson Square Station Improvements Are Completed |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=10 December 2004 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213223320/http://www.mbta.com/insidethet/press_releases_details.asp?ID=1079 |archivedate=13 December 2004}}{{cite press release |url=http://www.hydesquare.org/news_and_events/highlights/js_mural/jacksonsq_mural.html |title=Envisioning Peace: Local youths draw upon talents to improve MBTA stop |publisher=Hyde Square Task Force |date=15 July 2004 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001211056/http://www.hydesquare.org/news_and_events/highlights/js_mural/jacksonsq_mural.html |archivedate=1 October 2011}} Additional murals were added in December 2007.{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2007-12-06/jackson-square-station-art-project-complete |title=Jackson Square Station Art Project Complete |date=December 6, 2007 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} The entire Orange Line, including Jackson Square station, was closed from August 19 to September 18, 2022, during maintenance work.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/2022-08-12-ol-gl-closures-a-riders-guide-to-planning-ahead.pdf |title=A Rider's Guide to Planning Ahead: Upcoming Orange & Green Line Service Suspensions |date=August 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}

In the late 2010s, the MBTA began planning to add a second platform elevator, rebuild the existing elevator, and make other repairs to the station. A $4.7 million design contract for Jackson Square and {{bts|Massachusetts Avenue}} was awarded in April 2020.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2020-04/2020-04-13-fmcb-19-architectural-engineering-services-station-accessibility-improvements-accessible.pdf |title=MBTA Contract Nos. A90PS02, A90PS04, & A90PS05: Architectural and Engineering Services for Station and Accessibility Improvements |first=John |last=Schwarz |date=April 13, 2020 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/2022-03-28-jackson-sq-station-accessibility-improvements-overview-30-percent-design.pdf |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |title=Jackson Square Station Accessibility and Infrastructure Improvements: Recorded Project Overview |date=January 2022 |first=Tim |last=Horan}} Design was completed in 2023, and bidding for a $19.4 million construction contract was opened in November 2023. Construction was expected to last from March 2024 to spring 2026.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2023-11/2023-11-27-accessibility-initiatives.pdf |title=System-Wide Accessibility Initiatives—November 2023 |date=November 27, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Department of System-Wide Accessibility |page=10}}{{cite web |url=https://bc.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/pdf/A90CN12-%20NTB%20Final.pdf |title=Notice to Bidders: MBTA Contract No. A90CN12, Jackson Square Station Accessibility Improvement |date=November 15, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}} However, bidding was unsuccessful.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2024-06/2024-06-Accessibility-Initiatives.pdf |title=Accessibility Initiatives—June 2024 |date=June 25, 2024 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=10}} The project was re-bid in January 2025 with an estimated $25.3 million cost.{{cite web |url=https://bc.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/design_and_construction/construction_bid/?cbid=7468 |title=Re-advertisement of Jackson Square Station Accessibility Improvements |date=January 29, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |archive-date=February 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220215415/https://bc.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/design_and_construction/construction_bid/?cbid=7468}} Bids were higher than the estimate, in part due to increased risk associated with raising the platform to reduce the vertical gap to train cars. A $33.1 million construction contract was awarded in May 2025.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2025-05/A90CN12R%20Jackson%20Accessibility%20-%202025_04_28%20v1.pdf |title=MBTA Construction Contract No. A90CN12R: Jackson Square Station Accessibility Improvements |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=May 20, 2025}} Construction began in June 2025 and is expected to finish in 2027.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024-12-06-accessibility-initiatives.pdf |title=Accessibility Initiatives—December 2024 |date=December 6, 2024 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=11}}{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250630221121/https://www.mbta.com/schedules/Orange/alerts |archive-date=June 30, 2025 |url=https://www.mbta.com/schedules/Orange/alerts |title=Orange Line: Alerts |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=June 30, 2025}}

The MBTA also plans to convert the currently-southbound-only busway to bidirectional bus traffic as part of construction of bus lanes on Columbus Avenue in 2025–26.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2022-12/2022-12-12-tremont-columbus-12-12-presentation.pdf |title=Tremont/Columbus Avenue Phase 2 Bus Lanes Project |date=December 12, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/projects/columbus-avenue-bus-lanes/update/phase-2-tremontcolumbus-bus-lanes-30-design |title=Phase 2 of Tremont/Columbus Bus Lanes at 30% Design |date=December 14, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}

{{clear left}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category-inline}}

• [https://www.mbta.com/stops/place-jaksn MBTA – Jackson Square]
• [https://www.mbta.com/projects/jackson-square-station-accessibility-improvements MBTA – Jackson Square Station Accessibility Improvements]

{{MBTA Subway Stations}}

Category:Jamaica Plain, Boston

Category:Orange Line (MBTA) stations

Category:Railway stations located underground in Boston

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1987

Category:Bus stations in Boston