Chatham Square, Manhattan
Chatham Square or
Kimlau Square in
Manhattan is on the southern side of
Chinatown, at the confluence of seven streets,
Bowery,
East Broadway,
St. James Place,
Mott Street,
Oliver Street,
Worth Street and
Park Row. Park Row had once been
Chatham Street, giving the square its name.
Up until about 1820, the square had been used as a large open air market for goods and livestock, mainly
horses. By the mid 1800s, it became a center for
tatoo parlors,
flophouses and
saloons, as a seedy section of the old
Five Points neighborhood. In the 20th century, after
The Great Depression and
Prohibition, the area was reformed.
The
Kimlau Memorial Arch was erected, dedicated to the many
Chinese Americans who have fought and died in the name of freedom and
democracy. The arch is named after 2nd Lt.
Benjamin Ralph Kimlau, a
World War II aircraft commander of the
530th Squadron. The square was rededicated as Kimlau Square, although it is still generally known as Chatham Square.
There is also a statue of
Lin Tse-hsu in the square.
