DANIEL J. BYRNE, Secretary and Chief Clerk. Salary, $3,300. Power to establish parks in Boston was granted by the Commonwealth on May 6, 1875, subject to acceptance by the people. This act was accepted by a vote of the citizens on June 9, 1875; yeas, 3,706; nays, 2,311. The first Board of Park Commissioners was appointed on July 8, 1875, and confirmed on July 15, 1875. The Board consisted of three members who served without compensation. As thus constituted, the department continued up to 1913, when, by the provisions of Chapter 10, Ordinances of 1912, which went into effect in March, 1913, it was merged with the Public Grounds, Bath and Music Departments, under the name of Park and Recreation Department. By Ordinances of 1920, Chap. 13, the Cemetery Department was merged with the Park Department (of which it became the Cemetery Division), the latter title of the department being substituted for Park and Recreation Department, and the salary of the chairman was increased to $7,000. The chairman of the Board of Commissioners is now a salaried official and required to devote his entire time to the work, likewise the Deputy Commissioner. PARKS, ETC., WITH LOCATION, AREA AND YEAR ACQUIRED. Common, Tremont to Charles and Beacon to Boylston st., 1634. * 48.40 Public Garden, Charles to Arlington and Beacon to Boylston st., 1823. Commonwealth ave., Arlington st. to Newton line, 1894-1905 Back Bay Fens, Beacon st. to Brookline ave., 1877 . 24.25 112.70 116.99 40.00 180.00 36.00 † Arnold Arboretum and Bussey Park, South, Centre and Walter sts., 1882, 1895 223.00 West Roxbury Parkway, from Centre and Walter sts., near 77.88 527.00 Total Acres, Main Park System 1,386.22 This area of the Common is exclusive of the old cemetery on Boylston st. side, containing 1.40 acres. ✦ of this park, only the roads and walks are maintained by the City. The construction and care of that part of the parkway extending from Weld st. to Washington st. was transferred to the Metropolitan Park Commission by Chap. 270, Acts of 1915. The roadway and bridge over W. Roxbury Branch R. R. was completed in 1921. from Centre st. to Washington. Columbia road Dorchester way Franklin Park to Marine Park, City Point, 31.20 1892, 1899. Strandway, Columbia road railroad bridge to City Point (land 133.80; flats 131.50), 1890-1901. Marine Park and Aquarium, Farragut road, City Point (land Total Acres, Marine Park System 265.30 57.40 104.00 457.90 MISCELLANEOUS PARKS. * Irving W. Adams Park, Junction of Washington and South sts., Roslindale, 1919 *Stanley H. Ringer Park, Allston st., and Griggs place, 1916 Berners Sq., Longwood ave., Bellevue and Plymouth sts., Roxbury, 1901 12.12 1.31 Carroll Pond, Carroll st., West Roxbury, 1921 0.47 Charlesbank, Charles st., from Cambridge st. to Leverett, 1883 10.00 Beach (4.30), 1891 10.40 Chestnut Hill Park, Beacon st. and Commonwealth ave., Brighton, 1898-1902 55.40 Copp's Hill terraces, Commercial and Charter sts., North 0.60 *Vincent Cutillo Park, North End, Morton and Stillman sts., 1917 0.48 Dorchester Park, Dorchester ave. and Richmond st., 1891 Franklin Field, Blue Hill and Talbot aves., Dorchester (park area), 1892. (See under Playgrounds for larger area). Freeport St. (Malloch's) Wharf and grounds, Dorchester (land 1.15; flats, 2.54), 1912 26.00 17.00 3.69 ↑ Governor's Island, Boston Harbor, about one mile north of City Point 73.00 North End Beach, Commercial and Charter sts. (land 3.70; flats 3), 1893 . Park, East Cottage, Pleasant and Pond sts., Dorchester, 1921 Trinity Triangle, Huntington ave., Trinity place and St. James ave., 1885 † Governor's Island, the site of Fort Winthrop (now unoccupied), is owned by United States, but in 1902 Congress authorized its use as a park by the City. *Named for soldier killed in World War. World War Memorial Park, (formerly Wood Island), East Boston, Acres. on eastern waterfront (land 55.60; flats 155.40), 1882, 1891. 211.00 Total Acres, Miscellaneous Parks . 445.39 PLAYGROUNDS, WITH LOCATION, AREA AND YEAR ACQUIRED. † Stanley H. Ringer, Allston st. and Griggs place, Brighton, 1916, Acres. 2.00 2.20 0.11 10.80 3.50 Charlestown, Main and Alford sts. (land 14; flats 4), 1891 17.73 * Charlestown Heights, Bunker Hill and Medford sts., 1891 1.00 * Chestnut Hill, Brighton, 1898 4.00 Christopher Gibson, Dorchester and Geneva aves., 1897 * Columbus Park, Strandway (15 acres improved) 3.90 4.60 79.00 3.50 † William Amerena. Cottage st., East Boston, 1902 3.85 * Dorchester Park, Dorchester ave. and Richmond st., 1891 1.00 Eagle Hill Reservoir, White and Brooks sts., East Boston, 1920, 5.07 5.20 Fallon Field, South and Robert sts., Roslindale, 1899 3.87 † J. M. & J. J. Sullivan, Fellows st., at Hunneman st., Roxbury, 1897 0.85 *Fens, Back Bay, 1877 5.00 James F. Healy, Washington st. and Firth road, Roslindale, 1902 9.60 Franklin Field, Blue Hill and Talbot aves., Dorchester, 1892 * Franklin Park, 1883–84 60.00 36.00 Frederick B. Emmons, Rutherford ave., Charlestown, 1912 † John A. Doherty, Dorchester and Geneva aves., 1897 † John W. Murphy, Carolina ave., Jamaica Plain, 1912 John Winthrop, Dacia and Danube sts., Dorchester, 1911 † John J. Connolly, Marcella and Highland sts., Roxbury, 1903, Mary Hemenway, Adams and Gustine sts., Dorchester, 1919 † Matthew J. Sweeney, West Fifth st., South Boston, 1909 † McConnell Park (formerly Savin Hill Playground) Springdale and Denny sts. (land, 9.78; flats, 50.55) Mission Hill Tremont and Smith sts., Roxbury, 1913-1915 † Named for soldier killed in World War. 1.10 1.90 4.17 1.57 5.10 4.41 0.41 60.33 4.24 1.07 2.09 Playgrounds located in parks, and included in areas of parks. + Children's playground. Acres. † William H. Garvey, Neponset ave., opp. Chickatawbut st., Dorchester, 1896 . 16.68 † George H. Walker, Norfolk st., opposite Evelyn st., Mattapan, 1912 6.20 † William F. Smith, Western ave. and N. Harvard st., Brighton, 1894 14.00 * North End Beach, Commercial st., 1893 3.00 * Olmsted Park, Jamaicaway, 1890 . 3.00 Orient Heights, Saratoga and Boardman sts., East Boston, (land Prince st., N. Bennet and Prince sts., North End, 1897 0.40 Lester J. Rotch, Albany and Randolph sts., South End, 1903 2.80 A Ripley, Trescott Place, near Harvard st., Dorchester, 1913 0.86 4.00 11.65 † Arthur F. McLean, Saratoga and Bennington sts., E. Boston, 1917 0.43 † William E. Carter, Columbus ave., at Camden st., 1899 5.00 William Eustis, Norfolk ave. and Proctor st., Roxbury, 1909 4.88 * World War Memorial Park, East Boston, 1891 (formerly Wood Island) 10.00 The first separate playground acquired by the City was the Charlestown Playground, purchased in 1891 for $172,923. With that included, 57 playgrounds (44 separate and 13 located in parks) have been established, most of them equipped with first-class shelter and sanitary buildings containing lockers, also drinking fountains, shower baths, etc. The total outlay for land and construction of the playgrounds (not including those in parks) is $4,458,231. * Playgrounds located in parks, and included in areas of parks. Children's playground. PUBLIC GROUNDS, SQUARES, ETC., WITH LOCATIONS AND AREAS. CITY PROPER. Berwick Park, between Columbus ave. and N. Y., N. H. & H. R.R. West Newton sts.. City Hall Grounds, School st. Columbus Square, Columbus and Warren aves. Concord Square, between Tremont st. and Columbus ave. Fort Hill Square, Oliver and High sts. Square Feet. 3,800 105,100 7,700 2,250 5,000 28,399 29,480 105,205 106,500 2,867 7,400 100 16,000 3,000 16,000 Franklin Square, Washington st., between East Brookline and Park Square, Columbus ave., Eliot st. and Broadway ROXBURY. Alvah Kittredge Park, Highland st. and Highland ave. 5,600 Tre 1,662 Bromley Park, Albert to Bickford sts. 20,975 Cedar Square, Cedar st., between Juniper and Thornton sts. Elm Hill Ave., between Seaver and Schuyler sts. (Tree Area) General Heath Square, Old Heath, New Heath and Parker sts. Longwood Park, Park and Austin sts. 21,000 Madison Park, Sterling, Marble, Warwick and Westminster sts., 122,191 |