Last updated: June 12, 2024
Place
Wood Island Park
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
When looking at Frederick Law Olmsted’s work around Boston, the Emerald Necklace usually gets much of the attention. While the linear park would change Boston for the better, he had several other, smaller parks in the area that deserve their share of the attention.
Wood Island Park in East Boston is one of these smaller, isolated parks. What started as a simple park featuring few walks and a playground transformed into his largest neighborhood park, with forty-six acres of public beaches, picnic areas, tennis courts, outdoor gymnasiums for both men and women, playgrounds, and several promenades.
Despite Wood Island Park’s popularity, green spaces do fall victim to a community’s expansion. The northernmost jewel of the Emerald Necklace, and the glory of East Boston would be razed for the expansion of Logan Airport in the mid-20th century. There was a time when the park was ranked with San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park as one of the county’s great oceanside municipal parklands. Today, it sits under a runway for airplanes.
Source: "Wood Island Park," Olmsted Online
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr
Wood Island Park in East Boston is one of these smaller, isolated parks. What started as a simple park featuring few walks and a playground transformed into his largest neighborhood park, with forty-six acres of public beaches, picnic areas, tennis courts, outdoor gymnasiums for both men and women, playgrounds, and several promenades.
Despite Wood Island Park’s popularity, green spaces do fall victim to a community’s expansion. The northernmost jewel of the Emerald Necklace, and the glory of East Boston would be razed for the expansion of Logan Airport in the mid-20th century. There was a time when the park was ranked with San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park as one of the county’s great oceanside municipal parklands. Today, it sits under a runway for airplanes.
Source: "Wood Island Park," Olmsted Online
For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr