Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
The Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston is a system of reservations, parks,
The park system consists of coastal reservations and beaches including Revere Beach, river reservations along the three major rivers in the area, such as the Charles River Reservation, and woodland reservations exemplified by Blue Hills Reservation south of the city. In addition, parks focusing on local history are located in Lynn and Roxbury. The DCR also manages a system of parkways which serve to connect the urban public to the open spaces; among these are busy streets such as Jamaicaway in Boston as well as secluded park roadways in uninhabited areas such as the Blue Hills Reservation Parkways.[1]
History
The improvement of areas of undeveloped land, detrimental development, and polluted land in and around Boston for a system of interconnected parks was first conceived and promoted by landscape architects Charles Eliot and Warren H. Manning, as well as Sylvester Baxter, a Boston newspaper writer and city planning enthusiast.[2][4] Eliot and Manning had apprenticed with Frederick Law Olmsted and Eliot later assumed leadership of Olmsted's design firm in 1893, with Manning leaving the firm in 1896. Olmsted had been responsible for the development of Central Park in Manhattan and with Eliot had worked to create Boston's Emerald Necklace, a string of connected parks and waterways.[5] Eliot and Manning were instrumental in the founding of The Trustees of Public Reservations (now The Trustees of Reservations) and the public Metropolitan Parks Commission in the 1890s and envisioned an expansion of the parks network to areas surrounding Boston.[5]
The Metropolitan Park Commission was established in 1892 and appointed by the
The first five areas acquired by the commission for the system in 1893 were the Beaver Brook, Blue Hills, Hemlock Gorge, Middlesex Fells and Stony Brook Reservations.[7] By 1900, the system had expanded to include several constructed or planned parkways and added beach reservations at King's Beach in Lynn, Nantasket Beach in Hull, Quincy Shore, Revere Beach, and reservations along the Charles, Mystic and Neponset Rivers.[8] Architect William D. Austin designed many buildings for the commission.
In 1919, the commission was renamed the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) after merging with the Metropolitan Water and Sewer Commission.
Parks and reservations
The following table lists parks and reservations currently owned and maintained by the DCR Division of Urban Parks and Recreation, subdivided into sections based on environment as stated by the DCR, with year of formation, location within municipalities, site area and primary activities listed:
Metropolitan parks and reservations[1][16] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Coastal | ||||
Name |
Year formed |
Municipalities | Area in acres (hectares) |
Activities |
Belle Isle Marsh | 1985[17] | Boston | 241 (98) | Hiking, Scenery |
Boston Harbor Islands | 1970[18] | Boston, Hingham, Quincy, Weymouth | 404 (163) | Boating, Camping, Fishing, History, Picnicking, Scenery, Swimming, Walking |
Castle Island | 1962[19] | Boston | 22 (8.9) | Fishing, History, Picnicking, Scenery, Swimming, Walking |
Dorchester Shores | 1988[20] | Boston | 41.3 (16.7) | Fishing, Picnicking, Swimming |
Fort Revere Park | 1988[21] | Hull | 8 (3.2) | Events, History, Scenery |
Lynn Shore | 1896[22] | Lynn | 22 (8.9) | Biking, Birding, Fishing, Playing Fields, Swimming |
Nahant Beach | ~1900[5] | Nahant | 66.5 (26.9) | Boating, Fishing, Playing Fields, Swimming |
Nantasket Beach | 1899[23] | Hull | 26 (11) | Biking, Swimming, Walking |
Quincy Shore | 1899[24] | Quincy | 86 (35) | Biking, Fishing, Picnicking, Running, Swimming, Walking |
Revere Beach | 1896 | Revere | 84 (34) | Fishing, Picnicking, Playground, Swimming |
Rumney Marsh | 1992[25] | Saugus | 600 (240) | Birding, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking |
Webb Memorial State Park | 1977[26] | Weymouth | 36 (15) | Canoeing, Picnicking, Scenery, Walking |
Weymouth Back River | 1987[27] | Hingham, Weymouth | 35 (14) | Birding, Fishing, Hiking, Soccer |
River | ||||
Alewife Brook | 1906[28] | Arlington, Cambridge | 120 (49) | Birding, Hiking, Playing Fields, Running, Tennis |
Charles River | 1896 | Boston, Cambridge, Dover, Needham, Newton, Watertown, Wellesley, Weston | 870 (350) | Athletic Fields, Boating, Canoeing, Concerts, Running, Sailing, Tennis, Walking |
Chestnut Hill | 2002[29] | Boston | 120 (49)[29] | Fishing, History, Swimming Pool, Skating, Walking |
Cutler Park | 1962 | Dedham, Needham, Newton | 700 (280) | Hiking, Picnicking |
Elm Bank
|
1995[30] | Dover | 182 (74) | Birding, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking, Museum |
Hemlock Gorge | 1895[31] | Needham, Newton | 23 (9.3) | Hiking, Picnicking |
Mystic River | 1896 | Arlington, Everett, Medford, Somerville | 396 (160) | Biking, Boating, Hiking, Rowing, Running, Sailing, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis |
Neponset River | 1896 | Boston, Canton, Milton | 750 (300) | Birding, Boating, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking |
Pope John Paul II Park | 2001 | Boston | 66 (27) | Birding, Hiking, Kayaking, Running, Soccer |
Squantum Point Park | 2001 | Quincy | 25 (10) | Birding, Canoeing, Inline Skating, Running, Scenery |
Woodland | ||||
Beaver Brook | 1893 | Belmont, Waltham | 59 (24) | Baseball, Birding, Hiking, Picnicking |
Blue Hills | 1893 | Braintree, Canton, Milton, Quincy, Randolph | 7,000 (2,800) | Camping, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Skiing, Swimming |
Breakheart | 1934 | Saugus, Wakefield | 640 (260) | Biking, Fishing, Hiking, Skiing, Swimming |
Hammond Pond | 1938[32] | Newton | 59 (24) | Fishing, Hiking, Rock Climbing |
Middlesex Fells | 1894[33] | Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, Winchester | 2,575 (1,042) | Canoeing, Fishing, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Skiing |
Quincy Quarries | 1985[34] | Quincy | 22 (8.9) | Hiking, Picnicking, Rock Climbing, Scenery |
Southwest Corridor Park | 1987 | Boston | 52 (21) | Basketball, Biking, Tennis, Walking |
Stony Brook | 1894 | Boston, Dedham | 475 (192) | Baseball, Biking, Fishing, Hiking, Picnicking, Swimming Pool, Skating Rink, Tennis |
Wilson Mountain | 1995 | Dedham | 213 (86) | Birding, Hiking |
Heritage | ||||
Lynn Heritage State Park | 1990 | Lynn | 4.2 (1.7) | History, Scenery, Walking |
Roxbury Heritage State Park | 1992 | Roxbury | 2.2 (0.89) | Architectural History, Community Programs, History |
Notes
- ^ a b c "DCR: Division of Urban Parks and Recreation". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Division of Urban Parks and Recreation History". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ^ "Planning and Engineering". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- ^ Massachusetts Metropolitan Park Commission (c. 1893). Report of the Board of Metropolitan Park Commissioners. January, 1893. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co. (no imprint). pp. 16–19, 31, 88–89, 91, 108–109.
- ^ a b c Eliot, Charles William (1902). Charles Eliot, landscape architect. Cambridge, MA: Houghton, Mifflin. p. 738. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
- OCLC 16896572. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
- ^ Massachusetts Metropolitan Park Commission (1917). Report of the Board of Metropolitan Park Commissioners, December 1916. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co. p. 9. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- OCLC 16896572. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c Leccese, Mark (2003). "Enhancing Regional Greenfrastructure" (PDF). Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston/Harvard University. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-55849-445-9. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ Mazzone, Hon. A. David. "Mazzone, Judge A. David : Chamber Papers on the Boston Harbor Clean Up Case, 1985-2005". Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
- ^ "Mass Moments: Massachusetts Creates Nation's First Regional Park System". Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Watershed Supply Protection Trust". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2009 (Section 177)". The 186th General Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ Pazzanese, Christina (September 12, 2009). "A big concern on two major parkways". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
- ^ Areas, years formed and municipalities are listed on DCR web pages for some, but not all, parks. Where the DCR page contains unclear information, the data is either from a cited source or from the Office of Geographic and Environmental Information (MassGIS), Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs "Protected and Recreational Open Space" datalayer. Area figures from the datalayer may represent a larger space than is accessible to the public, due to the inclusion of administrative or undeveloped sections of a given park.
- ^ "Friends of Belle Isle Marsh". Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
- ^ "Boston Harbor Islands State Park" (PDF). Arnoldia. 48 (3). Boston: President and Trustees of Harvard College: 21–22. 1988. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ "The Boston Harborwalk: Learn about history". The Boston Harbor Association. Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ "Boston Harbor Islands State Park" (PDF). Arnoldia. 48 (3). Boston: President and Trustees of Harvard College: 14. 1988. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ "Healthy Communities Grant Program 2007" (PDF). Town of Hull. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-554-55509-6. Retrieved January 11, 2010. (King's Beach acquired)
- ^ City charter, chapter 283, acts of 1897, ordinances of 1898, standing regulations, statutes relating to the city. Newton, MA: City of Newton. 1906. p. 242. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Wollaston Beach". City of Quincy. Retrieved December 11, 2009.
- ^ "Rumney Marsh". Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Island Facts: Webb Memorial State Park". United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Stodder's Neck/Abigail Adams Park". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved December 13, 2009. (Land acquired for Abigail Adams State Park, added to Stodder's Neck to form reservation)
- ^ Private and special statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume 20. Boston: Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 1909. p. 293. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ a b "Chestnut Hill Reservation: Resource Management Plan". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
- ^ "Annual Report" (PDF). Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of the Inspector General. 1996. p. 17. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Hemlock Gorge". Newton Conservators. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008. (Parkway construction begun)
- ^ "History". Friends of the Fells. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
- ^ Walsh, Patrick J. (December 13, 2009). "Of granite, plugs, and feathers". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 11, 2010.