About The Oldest Street In America
America's oldest street dates back to the Pilgrims' settlement in 1620
A street is defined as a public road in a city or town, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides; public roads that have buildings on both sides. A street is a road, not all roads are streets.
Leyden Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is considered America's oldest street, dating back to the Pilgrims' settlement in 1620. Leyden Street, originally known to the first settlers as First Street, Great Street or Broad Street, is where the Pilgrims began building their houses in the winter of 1620-21, and it has been the heart of the town ever since.
Extending from the harbor at its eastern end to Burial Hill on the west (and including Town Square), Leyden Street is the oldest continuously occupied street in British North America.
Leyden Street is described as America's first street by the Historical Marker Database. The Mayflower Society defines it as the oldest street in America that has been continuously lived on. First Parish Plymouth Church acknowledges it as the oldest street in America.
Although no 17th century structures survive on the street, the existing homes are a assortment of 18th and 19th century houses that front directly onto the sidewalks. They stand close together on small lots that are roughly 49 ½ feet deep, as was allotted in the first division in 1620.
Located in Plymouth's historic Plymouth Colony, it was originally called First Street by the Pilgrims. The street was part of the first planned settlement of European colonists in New England.
Leyden Street was laid out in 1620 by the Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower and was located in the original Plymouth Colony settlement. It was named after Leiden, Netherlands, where many Pilgrims lived before coming to America. It runs through the original Plymouth settlement.
Represents the first organized urban planning in what would become the United States. The street was crucial to the early survival and organization of the Plymouth Colony, serving as a central path for the initial settlers' homes and community activities.
Originally named after Leyden (or Leiden) in the Netherlands, where many of the Pilgrims had lived before coming to America, Leyden Street was part of the early settlement plan. It became a central thoroughfare for the community, connecting various homes and important sites.
Over the years, Leyden Street has seen significant historical events and changes, including the development of the surrounding area and the establishment of new buildings.
Today, it remains a key part of Plymouth's historical heritage, often visited by tourists and history enthusiasts who want to learn more about the early colonial period and the lives of the Pilgrims. The street reflects the early American spirit of perseverance and community, serving as a reminder of the nation's beginnings and the challenges faced by its early settlers.
*Note: There are four other streets that are often mentioned for the title of being the oldest street in America.
Elfreth's' Alley in Philadelphia, PA (est. 1702) is the oldest residential street in America. Huguenot Street in New Paltz, NY (est. 1678) is the oldest continuously inhabited street in America. Stone Street in NYC (est. 1624) is America's first paved (cobblestone) street in America. The fourth is Aviles Street in St. Augustine, FL. Not much of its history is recorded. Archaeologists found pottery shards from the early 1600s by digging under the paving. Other than that (which doesn't prove an established date) the street’s origins are unknown.
But none are older than Leyden Street in Plymouth, MA. These details qualify Leyden Street established in 1620, as officially the oldest street of any kind in America.