Public Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boston Public Garden | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark District) | |
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| Location: | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Area: | 24 acres[1] |
| Built/Founded: | 1634 |
| Designated as NHL: | February 27, 1987[2] |
| Added to NRHP: | July 12, 1972 (original, in NRHP also including Boston Common) February 27, 1987 (new, as NHL of Boston Public Garden alone)[3] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 72000144 (original) 87000761 (new) |
| Governing body: | Local |
The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Boston Common.
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[edit] History
The Public Garden was established in 1837 by philanthropist Horace Gray[4] as the first public botanical garden in the United States. The twenty-four acre (97,000 m²) landscape, which was once a salt marsh, was designed by George V. Meacham. In 1859, an act by the Massachusetts General Court preserved the Public Garden as an open space. The Public Garden is managed jointly between the Mayor's Office, The Parks Department of the City of Boston, and the non-profit Friends of the Public Garden.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.[2][1]
[edit] Description
Together with the Boston Common, these two parks form the northern terminus of the Emerald Necklace, a long string of parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. While the Common is primarily unstructured open space, the Public Garden contains a lake and a large series of formal plantings that are maintained by the city and others and vary from season to season.
During the warmer seasons, the four acre (16,000 m²) pond is usually the home of one or more swans and is always the site of the Swan Boats, a famous Boston tourist attraction. For a small fee, tourists can sit on a boat ornamented with a splendid white swan at the rear. The boat is then pedaled around the lake by a young (and strong) tour guide sitting within the swan.
The Public Garden is rectangular in shape and is bounded on the south by Boylston Street, on the west by Arlington Street, and on the north by Beacon Street where it faces Beacon Hill. On its east side, Charles Street divides the Public Garden from the Common. The greenway connecting the Public Garden with the rest of the Emerald Necklace is the strip of park that runs west down the center of Commonwealth Avenue towards the Back Bay Fens and the Muddy River.
Several statues are located throughout the Public Garden. Located at the Arlington Street gate is the equestrian statue of George Washington, which faces Commonwealth Avenue. A set of bronze statues based on the main characters from the children's story Make Way for Ducklings is located between the pond and the Charles and Beacon streets entrance. John Quincy Adams Ward's "Good Samaritan" Ether Monument commemorates the first use of ether as an anesthetic.[5] Along the south walk in the park is a statue of Colonel Thomas Cass, commander of the 9th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry which served in the American Civil War. The Public Garden is also home to the world's smallest suspension bridge.[6]
The park is maintained by the City of Boston. A group of neighborhood volunteers that terms themselves the Rose Brigade tends several rose bush within the park.
[edit] The Emerald Necklace
Other parks and parkways of the Emerald Necklace:
- Boston Common
- Commonwealth Avenue Mall
- The Fenway
- The Riverway
- The Jamaicaway
- Olmsted Park
- Jamaica Pond Park
- The Arborway
- Arnold Arboretum
- Franklin Park
[edit] Transportation
The Public Garden is easily accessible from the MBTA Green Line's Arlington Station. Other nearby subway stops include the Green Line's Boylston Station and the Red Line's Park Street Station. Public parking is located underneath Charles Street.
[edit] Gallery
 Sign |
 1890 Map of the Public Garden and Common in Boston |
 Looking east toward Boston's Financial District. |
 Swan boats |
 Bridge adjoining sides of Boston's Public Garden over the pond |
 A panorama, taken during the day |
 View over the pond at night |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b James H. Charleton (November, 1985), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Boston Public GardenPDF (32 KB), National Park Service and Accompanying five photos, from 1985 and undatedPDF (32 KB)
- ^ a b Boston Public Gardens. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ Horace Gray: Father of the Boston Public Garden
- ^ Boston Public Garden | Boston Sights
- ^ Boston Public Garden | Boston Sights
[edit] External links
- Friends of the Public Garden
- Public Garden. Fodors.com. May 22, 2005.
- The Swan Boats of Boston - The Public Garden. May 22, 2005.
- Photos of the Public Garden
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