MDC Plaza - Somerset Street - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 21.570 W 071° 03.697
19T E 330222 N 4691750
This place, recently opened (2016), celebrates the old Metropolitan District Commission that maintained parks, parkways and watersupplies in the Boston metropolitan area.
Waymark Code: WMR72T
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 05/19/2016
Views: 4
In Boston, on top of Beacon Hill, is this plaza celebrating the existence of the Metropolitan District Commission, which maintained water supplies, parkways, and parks in the Boston metropolitan area.
The plaza is located at the corner of Somerset Street and Ashburton Place. It is situated next to One Ashburton Place, an office building for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a modern building occupied by Suffolk University built just before l;this plaza. Parking - best to walk here.
The plaza is on two levels, connected by cascading terraces. At the bottom is a long dark stone that has the names of all the properties etched into it. These names mostly are recognizable landmarks in Boston and area: Revere Beach, Soldiers Field Road, Blue Hill Reservation, Esplanade, Stone Zoo, The Fenway, Longfellow Bridge, and Brook Farm.
A plaque at one end has the following text:
"Metropolitan District Commission
This plaza commemorates the Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), which was established in 1919 and is recognized for its distinction as the first Regional Planning Agency in the United States. From 1931, until its transformation into the Department of Conservation and Recreation in 2004, the MDC headquarters were housed in a building near this site at 20 Somerset Street.
From its 19th century origins as the Metropolitan Park Commission and the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board, the MDC planned, conserved and protected thousands of acres of parkland in and around metropolitan Boston including the Blue Hills Reservation, the Charles River Reservation and South Boston's Castle Island. The commission oversaw the modernization and expansion of Boston's water supply for a growing population."
Behind and on the Suffolk University building is a large map of the Charles River Basin, with other pictures and captions.
Name: MDC Plaza
Street Location: 20 Somerset Street
Local Municipality: Boston
State/Province, etc.: Massachusetts
Country: United States of America
Memorial/Commemoration: The Metropolitan District Commission
Date Established: 4/1/2016
Picnic Facilities: benches
Recreational Facilities:
None
Monuments/Statues: Monument and historical sign for the MDC
Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): A large map of the Charles River Basin
Fountains: None
Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: None
Special Events: None
Traditional Geocaches:
None
Web Site: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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