Franklin Park (Boston)
The Franklin Park is a partially wooded park in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States with 527 acres (2.13 km ²) expansion. The site extends to the Boston neighborhoods Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and Dorchester and is managed by the Parks and Recreation Department of the city. The Franklin Park is part of the Emerald Necklace system of parks and parkways, which was built in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted. It is the largest park in Boston and is home to, among others, the Franklin Park Zoo.
General Description
In its development in the 19th century, the Franklin Park was designed as a landscaped park and is the largest and last park in the system of the Emerald Necklace. Although he was often neglected in the past, he is still considered the " crown jewel " of the work of Olmsted in Greater Boston.
The park was named after the Boston patriot Benjamin Franklin and is designed very rural. Prior to renaming it was called West Roxbury Park. On the grounds there is a small wooded area and opportunities for active recreation and sports with 6 mi (10 km) road and 15 mi (24 km) walking and cycling trails.
The largest part of the park is dedicated to the recovery and basic use of the Boston population. The Scarboro Pond and the Ellicott Arch in this case represent the most popular areas in the park, as well as the large forest areas. There are also picnic areas, stone bridges, occurrence of Roxbury Puddingstone ( a locally occurring conglomerate ) and old stone ruins, especially the Long Crouch Woods of Roxbury, also known as the Bear Dens.
The Franklin Park Zoo
The Franklin Park Zoo is located right on the premises of the park. It was founded in 1912, pointing to an area of 72 acres ( 290,000 m²) animals such as lions, tigers, pygmy hippos, Masai giraffes, budgies, Amur leopards, western lowland gorillas, and Grevy's zebras. One of the most famous attractions in the zoo is the Tropical Forest (rain forest ), which was opened in September 1989. The Franklin Park Zoo is the second largest zoo in New England, ranking just behind the front-runner Southwick's Zoo in Mendon.
The Long Crouch Woods
The Long Crouch Woods are located on the grounds of the park and presented once the central part of the zoo represents the bear cages ( Bearden ) were designed and built to show a small collection of native animals in 1912. Originally, there was a very large staircase that led to a large square, around which the steel bear cages were arranged. In one of these cages, there was a detailed stone sculpture of bears and the silhouette of the city of Boston.
Plans to expand the Long Crouch Woods area in the zoo were never realized. Over time, the site fell into disrepair, and as the competent authority Park refused to do much of this for the means of subsistence, the Bearden could not be financed longer. The exhibition area was therefore officially closed in 1954. In 1958, the territory was separated in the course of the acquisition of control by the Metropolitan District Commission from the grounds of the zoo.
Since 1980, efforts are made to convert the Long Crouch Woods in a nature reserve, but they could not be implemented so far. For a long time the area for illegal activities and illegal dumping of waste was used. The Franklin Park Coalition left the garbage in 2002 and removed in 2007 received the amount of $ 36,000 for necessary materials and the assignment of professional landscape architects for the restoration of trails in the area. The project is supported by inputs of summer camps for problem children.
Sports grounds
In the area of Franklin Park, there are a variety of different ways to exercise. These include the William J. Devine 18- hole golf course ( the second oldest public golf course throughout the United States ) as well as tennis courts, baseball fields and basketball courts. The members of the Boston RFC wear their competitions also made in the park. There are wide and open spaces that are used for lacrosse and soccer, and there are on Sunday evenings the opportunity for cricket game.
The park is a famous venue for cross races that are held there throughout the year from high schools and colleges, including the Massachusetts All- States Meet, which alternates on a yearly basis with the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship. The particular just not taking place in Franklin Park Competition will be held in the City Van Courtlandt Park in New York. In Franklin Park exist measured running tracks with lengths of 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 km. 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the park on an extra surveyed 12.5 km long course.
There are in the population and city council growing concern with regard to the running events, as damage to nature because of soil erosion and disturbance of walkers and cyclists are feared. Since almost every Saturday and also different in very many Sundays in the park competitions take place, this issue is controversial.
The Playhouse
In the park there is a public area for stage performances, known as the Playhouse in the Park. There, well-known musicians such as Billy Taylor and the Boston Pops have already occurred.
The Schoolmaster Hill
Even before the establishment of the park, a teacher named Ralph Waldo Emerson lived in a small hut on the present Schoolmaster Hill. He was inspired by the surrounding landscape him for his nature poems and essays. On the hill there is now a plaque, reminiscent of Emerson. From there, the viewer has an excellent view of the Blue Hills.