Why Do Street Signs In Worcester, Massachusetts Have Hearts On Them?

With over 200,000 residents and 35,000 college students, Worcester, Massachusetts, is the second-largest city in New England. Worcester's history stretches back even further than this country's birth date of July 1776. It was first incorporated as a town in 1722, making it a true 300-year-old tercentennial municipality. In 1848, it surpassed the required 12,000 residents and officially became a "city."

In January of 1849, the Board of Aldermen and the Common Council came up with the city's first official seal — "a circular form, having in the center as a device, the figure of a heart." A motto that read "With Heart and Hand" was also proposed. The motto failed, but the seal passed with some tweaks (like the wreath). What's more, Worcester is located in the center of the state, all of which led to it becoming known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth." It's for this reason that street signs in Worcester today are adorned with hearts. 

However, 1848 was an altogether interesting year. Aside from Worcester becoming an official city, uprisings and insurrections were happening all around the world. There were so many, in fact, that it eventually became known as the "Year of Revolutions." Even amidst all that chaos, an interesting phenomenon was taking shape in the region that would help make the beating heart of this little burgh, shall we say, all the more lovely. It's also a source of confusion regarding why hearts were placed on its street signs.

The Valentine's Day that we all know today began in England in the mid-17th century, long before people were shopping for romantic gifts online. According to Worcester's historical society, some smart entrepreneurs in the area began creating the Valentine card industry here in the U.S. Worcester resident Esther Howland began making them and used her friends to put them together, in ... you guessed it — 1848, and became known as the "mother of the American valentine." Oddly, you won't find the color red or any hearts adorning Howland's early creations. 

Despite the coincidental timing, the success of Esther's cards had absolutely nothing to do with why the city's modern street signs have hearts on them. Still, it's easy to see why folks, even today (e.g., the NPR affiliate WBUR in Boston), assume they're meant to honor the Victorian-era entrepreneur rather than the city's "Heart of the Commonwealth" moniker. 

In the historical scheme of things, Worcester's heartfelt street signs are a fairly recent development – and, unlike some confusing road signs, their meaning is rooted in civic identity rather than traffic rules. Exactly when they first officially appeared can't be tracked, but accounts from residents claim they started popping up around 2009 or 2010. That's when the city's Department of Public Works (DPW) began experimenting with new signage, placing a red heart before the street name to better reflect the "Heart of the Commonwealth" moniker.