History Fenway (parkway)

1 history

1.1 background
1.2 naming
1.3 construction

history
background

in 1875, voters of city of boston , massachusetts legislature approved creation of park commission in order promote creation of public parks in city. frederick law olmsted, landscape architect of new york city s central park, began spend increasing amount of time in area , asked park commission in mid-to-late 1870s judge of 23-entry design competition build new park. olmsted felt of submitted plans subpar , either did not take account flood control or focused on , neglected public park aspect. muddy river , stony brook flowed through bay fens (the fens) @ time subject tidal flow, storm flooding, , sewage discharge. disappointed park commission asked olmsted professional adviser , main landscape architect. under direction, called emerald necklace took shape. directed fens dredged, graded, planted, , turned seemingly natural salt marsh absorb , clean flowing waters. built series of parks stretching fens near existing commonwealth avenue greenway franklin park miles away. parks connected each other scenic parkways, 1 of fenway around eastern , southern sides of fens.

the ornate facades of buildings @ 80 , 84 fenway.

when planned, thought buildings built upon fenway house high-wealth residents , whole area high-class neighborhood. property values rose, however, educational institutions sprung along fenway s route. 1907, there twenty-two educationally focused organizations, including 9 college , universities had made homes on fenway. residential buildings built needed frontages approved park board poor looking building [did not] depreciate value of whole neighborhood . additionally, board had discretion on whether felt proposed building suitable frontage along park , parkway. hope of these building restrictions there improvement in of fenway compared neighboring streets.

as part of metropolitan park system of greater boston, fenway maintained massachusetts department of conservation , recreation (dcr), rather city of boston.

naming

in 1887, stretch of parkways boylston street jamaica pond referred single group called parkway boston park commissioner, current names fenway, jamaicaway, , riverway being authorized park commission later year. provisional names fenway suggested in 1885 included rumford, longview, , riverdale, although park commission deemed naming should pass following criteria. entire parkway system, each roadway name had end in consistent manner, naturally aid[ing] in making idea of continuity , unity familiar public, and, if such termination short, simple , common, in various ways convenience . additionally wished names derived topographical or historical local circumstance . example, instead of [a parkway] being called riverdale road [it should] called riverway . in 1879 report outlining plan parks , roadways, area through fenway travel described fenny meadow . park commission subsequently chose bay fens name park , fenway name parkway because traveled through it.

construction

the fenway first of olmsted parkways built , work began on in 1880s, while work on others began in 1890s. work started @ boylston street connection , of curbstone , gutters in area had been laid 1885. 1888, roadway complete boylston street westland avenue, prevented continuing further south because of delay in securing more fill. boston city engineer s report cited hold in acquiring property there brookline avenue terminus, problem since fill dredged material new path of muddy river. work continued after remainder of land acquired , roadway complete intersection of parker , huntington avenue (today forsyth way @ museum of fine arts) 1890. construction of parkway concluded in 1893 , completed length of fenway opened shortly after.