Olmsted Park, "Emerald Necklace," - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 19.263 W 071° 07.008
19T E 325571 N 4687592
Of the parks that form Boston's Emerald Necklace, Olmsted Park is among the most natural and seclusive, with paths through thick woods and a boardwalk along a lily pond, as well as athletic fields and babbling brooks.
Waymark Code: WM74TC
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/01/2009
Views: 4
In the Jamaica Pond section of Boston, along the border between Boston and Brookline, is an irregularly shaped green space known today as Olmsted Park, in honor of the man who not only designed this and other parks in Boston, but who is generally seen as the father of landscape architecture, Fredrick Law Olmsted.
The Riverway, a relatively narrow, windy road borders the park on the south side. The parcel extends from Boylston Street, Brookline (Route 9) to Perkins Street. There is a small parking lot at the corner of Willow Pond Road and the Riverway, and there is parking available along the Riverdale Parkway on the Brookline side of the park.
The park, currently comprising 12.94 acres, was established in 1891 as part of the Emerald Necklace plan. Land was purchased from area land owners. When Olmsted observed the land that made up this park, he noted how beautiful it was in its present state and, thus, when he landscaped this park, he made only minor changes to it, which is unlike other projects, including Franklin Park. He did dredge a wetland to form Leverett Pond and named the park Leverett Park. However, in 1900, the Boston Parks Commission changed the name to Olmsted Park. This and the other Emerald Necklace parks were neglected until the 1980s, when the state provided funds to restore the parks. They have been registered as National Historic Landmarks.
The area south of Willow Pond Road was to have educational displays that included a series of small ponds. When funds did not materialize, these ponds were filled in. This park still has ponds, however. In addition to Leverett Pond, Ward Pond near the park's southern edge, is beautifully surrounded by green trees and hill sides. In addition, there are trails that climb the rocky ledges or along Muddy River. On the Riverdale side, there are a series of bridges that cross the river, which, in 2006, was transformed into the 'babbling brook' where it runs over and through smooth rock.
The area north of Willow Pond is dominated by the pond and athletic fields.
Sources and For More Information:
Wikipedia (Olmsted Park):
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Boston Parks and Recreation (Olmsted Park):
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Town of Brookline Parks and Open Space Commission (Emerald Necklace II):
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visit link)
Olmsted Research Guide (Olmsted Park):
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visit link)