The owners of Broomfields - an estate - were the Marsh family. In the early 1850s the area west of Grove Road was divided into plots, the purchasers including William Palmer of Essex, Higgs, Tayler, and W. S. Bowen, who from 1852 built in Bridge Road, Grove Roads, Palm Street, Totty Street and Lessada Street.

Victoria Works had been built on the west side of the Regent’s Canal by 1854.

The East End of London was heavily targeted by V1 flying bombs during the Second World War, resulting in significant destruction, including the first-ever V1 to land on England, which fell on Grove Road. In November 1944, the area was further hit by a V2 rocket that struck Lessada Street. The Palm Tree pub, which survived the devastation, stood in the midst of a neighbourhood that was left in ruins, leaving many residents homeless.

To address the urgent housing shortage caused by the bombings, the Housing Act of 1944 was implemented, empowering the government to allocate up to £150 million for temporary accommodation. This led to the construction of prefabricated houses - factory-built units that were easily assembled on-site.

Contrary to the initial plans, these prefabricated houses, or "prefabs," remained as homes for East End residents for decades.

16 prefabs had been erected in Lessada Street with more in Totty Street.

In the mid-1970s, as part of London’s regeneration efforts, the remaining prefabricated houses in the East End were demolished. This marked the culmination of a major slum clearance programme aimed at improving the living conditions in the city. Families who had been residing in these prefabs were relocated to surrounding areas.

Amidst the demolition, the only structure that survived was the Palm Tree pub, which holds a grade II listed status. It stood on the corner of the original row of prefabs, and with the removal of the surrounding homes, it appeared out of place.

The northern end of Mile End Park was laid out over the site of the street.