 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. |