On the face of his plan for Franklin Park, Olmsted set aside a large section of the park, a mile long and three quarters of a mile wide, which he designated the "Country Park." He proposed that this should be a place for quiet enjoyment of the natural scenery. Yet, by the time he designed this park, he was also responding to the growing public movement toward active recreation. Thus, around this rural core, he not only provided excellent fields for such lawn sports as tennis and croquet but also introduced baseball diamonds and other spaces for athletics.
Today almost the whole open space of the park in a heavily played municipal golf course. The entire northern meadow, formerly the Playsted, has become a stadium and parking lot. This particular area has therefore been lost completely in terms of park value. The main open spaces that remain are now used as a cross-country course of Boston colleges. Yet, despite the sad neglect and the various encroachments to which Franklin Park has been subjected, even now ample evidence remains of Olmsted's creativity. Although it is no longer a country park, as he planned, a largely rural atmosphere still prevails.
