4400.001 Guide to the Parks Department legal records 4400.001 Finding aid prepared by Patrick T. Collins With funding from a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division
201 Rivermoor Street West Roxbury, MA, 02132 (617)635-1195 archives@cityofboston.gov
2008 March 27 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2008-10-28T10:10-0400 2008 October 28 Altered the structure of the series to provide for better display in EAD. Combined letter groupings into top-level series and moved each individual letter to the sub-series level. Parks Department legal records 4400.001 City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division 1 2 3 4 1 2 1 5.5 Cubic feet 4 Record Cartons, 1 Oversize Flatbox, 2 Flat Files 1880-1992 Bulk, 1885-1960 Boston (Mass.). Parks and Recreation Dept.. Biographical/Historical note

Power to establish parks in the City of 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. 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 of 1913, it was merged with the Public Grounds, Bath and Music Departments, under the name of Park and Recreation Department. The chairman of the Board of Commissioners became a salaried official and was required to devote his entire time to the work, likewise the Deputy Commissioner. In 1920, the Cemetery Department was merged with the Park Department, the latter title being substituted for Park and Recreation Department. On May 1, 1954, the department became the Parks and Recreation Department. The four Associate Commissioners serve without compensation.

The Office of the Superintendent of [the Common and] Public Grounds was established by ordinance on February 28, 1870. The Superintendent had charge of, and was the only person authorized to trim the trees in the streets of the city and of all the public grounds, except the parks established under Stat. 1875, Chap. 185. He also had charge of all the public grounds. The Bath Department was established by ordinance in 1898. The Trustees had care and custody of all the bath-houses and indoor gymnasia. The Music Department was established by ordinance on April 23, 1898. It was placed in charge of a board of five commissioners, known as the Music Trustees. The board was given charge and control of the selection of public music, to be given either indoors or in the open air, for parades, concerts, public celebrations and other purposes under the authority of the City Council, except entertainments for children on the Fourth of July. It engaged the performers, made the contracts and expended all moneys paid from the City treasury for such music.

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department provides residents and visitors with clean, green, safe, and accessible open space in more than 2,200 acres of park land throughout the city including parks, playgrounds, athletic facilities, city squares, urban wilds, street trees, three active cemeteries, 16 historic burying grounds, and two golf courses.

In addition to maintaining the historic integrity of such famous landmarks as Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the other parks that comprise Frederick Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace, the Department services and upgrades facilities ranging from tot lots to the 527-acre Franklin Park.

The Department also programs a wide range of community events and live entertainment in the parks under its jurisdiction. The Boston Park Rangers act as the Department's eyes and ears while enhancing public safety. Appointed by the Mayor, the Boston Parks and Recreation Commission serves as the policy-making citizen body that oversees the operation of the Department and considers matters of public concern.

 Scope and Contents note

This series consists of 5.5 cubic feet of records from the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. The records cover the dates from 1880-1992, with bulk dates of 1885-1960. These records deal with various park projects of the Boston Parks Department (and its predecessors) from the 1880s through the early 1970s. Documents include land takings, deeds, land transfers, sales of land, leases, as well as other legal agreements between the Boston Parks Department (or its predecessors) and government entities (including local, state, and federal) private citizens, corporations, and other businesses. In addition there are a large number of plans for various projects including blue prints, engineer drawings, and maps.

Arrangement note

This series had no apparent order upon accession by the Archives. Subsequently it has been arranged alphabetically with groupings of letters serving as the top level series (e.g. Series I: A - F) and each letter of the alphabet serving as a sub-series within that specific grouping. Within each sub-series documents have been arranged according to the name of the specific park, river, or building, by the geographic location (e.g. street name or neighborhood) within the City of Boston, or the organization dealt with in each document. Each individual location or entity has been placed in its own folder(s). Documents dealing with the same location or entity have been ordered chronologically within each folder. Oversized materials have been removed and placed in appropriate archival housing, including flat boxes and flat files. Photographs have also been removed and filed together in the Photographs series. The result of this organization is five individual series: four covering all of the letters and a final fifth series for photographs. There are no documents present that fall under the letters X, Y, or Z.

 A - F Series I A 9 Folders Airports 1 1 1 Folder Alvah Kittredge Park 1 2 1 Folder Aquarium 1 3 1 Folder Arborway 1 4 1 Folder Arena Building 1 5 1 Folder Arlington Street 2 1 6 1 Folder, and Oversize Material Arnold Arboretum 1 7 1 1 Folder, and Oversize Material Arnold Arboretum Audubon Road 1 8 1 Folder Autumn Street 1 9 1 Folder B 12 Folders Back Bay Park 1 10 1 Folder Baker Street, West Roxbury 1 11 1 1 Folder, and Oversize Material Bellevue Street 1 12 1 Folder Berners Square 4 187 1 13 1 1 Folder, and Oversize Material Separated Materials note

Photographs were removed from this folder (F.13) and placed in the Photographs folder (F.187) for preservation reasons.

 Blue Hill Avenue 1 14 1 Folder Blue Hills Parkway 1 1 15 1 Folder, and Oversize Material Boston Athenaeum 1 16 1 Folder Boston Common 1 17 1 Folder Boston Parks and Recreation Department 1 18 1 Folder Boylston Road 1 19 1 Folder Brighton Square 1 20 1 Folder Brookline Avenue 1 21 1 Folder C 31 Folders Camp Meigs 1 22 1 Folder Canterbury Street 1 23 1 Folder Carson Street Play Area 1 24 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Carter Playground 1 1 25 1 Folder and Oversize Material Castle Island 1 26-27 1 2 1 2 Folders and Oversize Material Castle Island Centre Street, Roslindale 2 1 1 28 1 Folder and Oversize Material Chandler's Pond 1 29 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Charles Gate East 1 30 1 Folder Charles Gate West 2 1 1 31 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Charles River 1 32 1 Folder Charles River (Mass.) Charles River Reservation 2 1 33 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Charles River (Mass.) Charlesbank Open-Air Gymnasium 1 34 1 Folder Charlestown 1 35 1 Folder Charlestown Playground 1 36 1 Folder Chestnut Hill Avenue 1 1 37 1 Folder and Oversize Material Chestnut Hill Park 1 38 1 Folder Columbia Road 1 39 1 Folder Columbia Yacht Club 1 40 1 Folder Columbus Avenue, Roxbury 1 41 1 Folder Columbus Avenue Playground 1 42 1 Folder Columbus Memorial Playground 1 43 1 Folder Commonwealth Avenue 4 187 2 2 46-47 1 1 44-45 4 Folders and Oversize Material Separated Materials note

Photographs were removed from F.44 and placed in the Photographs folder (F.187) for preservation reasons.

 Cottage Farm Road 2 2 48 1 Folder and Oversize Material Courtney Road 2 49 2 1 Folder and Oversize Material Cummings Estate, Woburn 2 50-52 3 Folders D 8 Folders Dewey Beach 2 53 1 Folder Dorchester 2 54 1 Folder Dorchester Dorchester Avenue 2 55 1 Folder Dorchester Heights 2 56 1 Folder Dorchester Park 2 57 1 Folder Dover Street 2 58 1 Folder Dow Footbridge (aka: Norfolk Street Playground) 2 59 1 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Downer Street, Roxbury 2 60 1 Folder Roxbury E 1 Folder Eden Street Playground 2 61 2 1 Folder and Oversize Material F 11 Folders Fairview Cemetery 2 62-63 1 2 Folders and Oversize Material Faneuil Street, Brighton 2 64 1 Folder Brighton Faraday Street, Hyde Park 2 65 1 Folder Hyde Park Fellow Street 2 66 1 Folder Fens, The 2 67 1 Folder Fort Hill Square 2 68 1 Folder Franklin Field 2 69 1 Folder Franklin Park (Boston, Mass.) Franklin Park 2 70 1 Folder Franklin Park (Boston, Mass.) Franklin Park Zoo 2 71 1 Folder Franklin Park (Boston, Mass.) Free Port Street Beach Flats, Dorchester 2 72 1 Folder G - L Series II G 4 Folders Garvey Playground (See also: William H. Garvey Playground) 2 73 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Related Archival Materials note

See also: William H. Garvey Playground

 Green Street, West Roxbury 2 74 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material West Roxbury Glen Lane 2 75 1 Folder Governor's Island 2 76 1 Folder H 6 Folders Hallet Street 2 77 1 Folder Hamilton Park 2 78 1 Folder Hanson Street Play Area 1 4 187 2 79 1 Folder and Oversize Material Separated Materials note

Photographs were removed from this folder (F.79) and placed in the Photographs folder (F.187) for preservation reasons.

 Highland Park 2 80 1 Folder Hunneman Street 2 81 1 Folder Hyde Park 2 2 82 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Hyde Park I 1 Folder Independence Square 2 83 1 Folder J 10 Folders J. J. sullivan Playground 2 84 2 1 Folder and Oversize Material Jamaica Pond 2 85 1 Folder Jefferson Playground 1 2 86 1 Folder and Oversize Material Jewish War Veteran's Drive 2 87 1 Folder John J. Ryan Playground 3 89 1 2 88 1 2 2 Folders and Oversize Material John T. Moynihan Memorial Play Center 3 90 1 Folder Joseph Doucette Stadium 3 91 1 Folder Joyce Kilmer Park 1 3 92-93 4 187 2 Folders and Oversize Material Separated Materials note

Photographs were removed from F.93 and placed in the Photographs folder (F.187) for preservation reasons.

 K 2 Folders Kimball Street 3 94 1 Folder King's Chapel 3 95 1 Folder L 4 Folders Lake Shore Road 3 96 1 Folder Leo M. Birmingham Parkway 3 97 1 Folder Lomasney Park 1 3 98 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Lowell Square 3 99 1 Folder M - R Series III M 13 Folders Malden Street 3 100 1 Folder M (illegible) Wharf 3 101 1 Folder Malloch's Wharf 3 102 1 Folder Mapes Street, Dorchester 3 103 1 Folder Dorchester Marine Park 3 104 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Castle Island Massachusetts Avenue 3 105 1 Folder McConnell Park 3 106 1 Folder Mission Hill Playground 3 107 1 Folder Morrissey Boulevard 2 3 108 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Moseley Street, Dorchester 3 109 1 Folder Dorchester Mother Brook 2 3 110 1 Folder and Oversize Material Mount Hope Playground 3 111 1 Folder Muddy River 3 112 1 Folder N 9 Folders Nashua Street 3 113 1 Folder Nashua Street Playground 3 114 1 Folder Natural History Garden 3 115 1 Folder Neponset Playground 3 116 1 Folder Neponset River Parkway 1 3 117 2 1 Folder and Oversize Material Neponset River Reservation 1 3 118-118.a 1 2 2 Folders and Oversize Material Norfolk Street Playground (See: Dow Footbridge) Related Archival Materials note

See: Dow Footbridge

 North Square 3 119 1 Folder North End Park 3 120 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material North End Playground 3 121 1 Folder O 5 Folders Old Colony Parkway 1 2 3 122 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material Old Harbor, Boston 1 3 123 1 Folder and Oversize Material Orient Heights Beach 2 3 124 1 Folder and Oversize Material Orients Heights Playground 3 125 1 Folder Orleans Street 3 126 1 Folder P 11 Folders Park Roadways 3 127 1 Folder Park Street 3 128 1 Folder Parkman House 3 129 1 Folder Pine Bank Building 3 130 1 Folder Pitts and Hale Streets Playground 3 131 1 Folder Porter Street 3 132 1 Folder Related Archival Materials note

See also: World War Memorial Park

 Post Office Square 3 133 1 Folder Preble Circle 3 134 1 Folder Private Joseph Amatucci Playground 3 135 1 Folder Poplar Street 3 136 1 Folder Public Garden 3 137 1 Folder Public Garden (Boston, Mass.) Q 1 Folder Quincy Street 3 138 1 Folder R 11 Folders Readville 3 139 1 Folder Readville Memorial Playground (See: William D. Doyle Memorial Playground) Related Archival Materials note

See: William D. Doyle Memorial Playground

 Readville Street 3 140 1 Folder Reverend Francis X. Coppens Square 3 141 1 Folder Ringer Playground 3 142 1 Folder Ripley Playground 4 143 1 Folder Robert F. Ryan Memorial Playground 4 144 1 Folder Roberts Playground 1 4 145 1 Folder and Oversize Material Roslindale Square 4 146 2 1 Folder and Oversize Material Ross Estate 4 147 1 Folder Roxbury 4 148 1 Folder Roxbury Russet Road, West Roxbury 4 149 1 Folder West Roxbury S - W Series IV S 14 Folders Saunders Stadium 4 150 1 Folder Savin Hill (See: South Boston, "Transfer of Care and Control, 7 Oct 1949) Related Archival Materials note

See: South Boston, "Transfer of Care and Control, 7 Oct 1949"

 Schools 4 151 1 Folder Seaver Street 4 152 1 Folder Sergeant Joseph Holmes, Jr. Square 4 153 1 Folder Shelburne Street 4 154 1 Folder Sigourney Street, West Roxbury 4 155 1 Folder West Roxbury Smelt Brook Creek 4 156 1 Folder Soldiers Field Road 4 157 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material South Boston 2 4 158-159 1 2 Folders and Oversize Material South Street, West Roxbury 4 160 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material West Roxbury Spring Street Brook 4 161 1 Folder Stony Brook Reservation 1 1 4 162 1 Folder and Oversize Material Sullivan Square 4 163 1 Folder Sumner Street, East Boston 4 164 1 Folder T 4 Folders Tenean Beach 4 165 1 Folder Tenean Street (See: South Boston, "Transfer of Care and Control, 7 Oct 1949") Related Archival Materials note

See: South Boston, "Transfer of Care and Control, 7 Oct 1949"

 Thetford Avenue, Dorchester 4 166 1 Folder Dorchester Tot-Lot, Walnut Avenue 1 4 167 1 Folder and Oversize Material Tremont Street 4 168 1 Folder U 1 Folder Union Park 4 169 1 Folder V 5 Folders Vancouver Street 4 170 1 Folder Veteran's of Foreign Wars Parkway 1 4 171-172 2 1 2 Folders and Oversize Material Victory Road 4 173 1 Folder Voses Grove 4 174 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material W 12 Folders Wall Street (See: Poplar Street) Related Archival Materials note

See: Poplar Street

 Washington Street 4 175 1 Folder West Roxbury Parkway 4 176 2 1 Folder and Oversize Material West Roxbury Wexford Street 4 177 1 1 Folder and Oversize Material William Amerena Park (See: World War Memorial Park) William D. Doyle Memorial Playground 4 178 1 Folder William H. Garvey Playground (See also: Garvey Playground) 4 179 1 Folder Related Archival Materials note

See also: Garvey Playground

 William Gary Walsh Playground 4 180 1 Folder Wilton Street, Hyde Park 4 181 1 Folder Hyde Park Wood Island Park (See also: World War Memorial Park) 4 182 1 Folder Related Archival Materials note

See also: World War Memorial Park

 Wood Playground 4 183 1 Folder World War Memorial Park 4 184-186 3 Folders Photographs Series V 1 Folder Photographs 4 187 1 Folder Separated Materials note

This folder (F.187) contains photographs from four different folders within this resource. These photographs have been separated from their original location for preservation reasons. Photocopies were put in their places. The photographs are from: F.13, F.44, F.79, and F.93.