Byron Street
From Worcester Activist wiki
Also WILLIAM AND BOWDOIN STS. AND RURAL CEMETERY
Also MILTON, DRYDEN, BRYANT, WILLIS, WHITTIER & EDGEWORTH STS.
Also BREMER, HEMANS, WAVERLY, LAMARTINE & PALFEY & PIERPOINT STS.
Also LOWELL, MELVILLE AND TENNYSON ST. & WHITMAN RD.
In the middle 1800’s, Worcester had an enterprising banker and business man, who did much to develop the city. He was David S. Messinger who became a vice-president of the Worcester Five Cent Savings Bank.
In 1844, he purchased a lot at the corner of Chestnut and Walnut streets from Gov. Levi Lincoln for a residence. He paid five cents a foot.
People were astounded at his extravagance.
Mr. Messinger also bought seven acres from Elisha Flagg between William and Bowdoin streets, running west from Chestnut street, for $4000.
Then he sold the lower end to Gov. Lincoln.
The banker continued to plunge into real estate. Another purchase from Flagg comprised the square on Harvard street from opposite Bowdoin on the north to Sudbury on the south and east to Eden Street. Price: $10,000. Then Mr. Messinger turned around and sold the south end for 12 cents a foot.
In 1849, he bought from Dr. John Green about 90 acres north of Rural Cemetery for $14,000. Dr. Green had purchased it for $7000 from Eli Goulding in 1846.
The purchase included a lofty section which Messinger dubbed Fairmount. From it Fairmont avenue took its name.
Mr. Messinger had a literary turn of mind. When the development embraced new streets, he named them after these writers: Byron, Milton, Dryden, Bryant, Willis, Whittier, Edgeworth, Bremer, Hemans. Byron street first appeared in 1857.
To them, he added Elizabeth and William street for his children. The literary trend was continued by others. Worcester also has Waverly, Lamartine, Palfrey, Pierpont, Lowell, Melville, Tennyson streets and Whitman road.
The core of this article comes from A History of Your City Streets.
