Word was buzzing around the community this week that one of our neighborhood’s treasures has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In an action taken on February 20, and published on February 29, the National Park Service announced the historic designation has been approved for Dorchester Park in the Lower Mills neighborhood. The 28 acre park, bounded by Dorchester Ave., Richmond, Adams & Richview Sts., has become a popular site for passive recreation, and a neighborhood group, the Dorchester Park Association has been actively promoting a public/private partnership to restore and renew the tree-lined parkland.
Last fall, the group hosted a well-attended banquet under tents in the park, raising funds to help replenish the park.
Last December, the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), chaired by Secretary of State Bill Galvin, approved the park for nomination and submitted it to the National Register in Washington, DC, for final consideration and designation.
“The Massachusetts Historical Commission is dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s rich architectural, cultural, archaeological, and historic resources,” Secretary Bill Galvin said at the time. “Inclusion of this property on the National Register will help protect our heritage for generations to come.”
In the nomination, the MHC gave this description: “Dorchester Park is a 28-acre neighborhood park located in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester, a modest, working class area that has traditionally included many immigrants. Lower Mills was the center of early industrial activity along the Neponset River. The park is adjacent to Carney Hospital and across from St. Gregory Church.
“It was established in 1891 as part of the Boston Park system designed by the Olmsted firm. It is a naturalistic neighborhood park intended to be refuge from the rapidly growing city thus carrying out the philosophy of Frederick Law Olmsted who designed Central Park in New York. The park, which integrates principles of park design with early ideas of land conservation, has many features that still reflect the original design intent, notably the perimeter walls along Dorchester Avenue and Adams Street, and the curvilinear path system. The predominant character of the park is that of a natural forest interspersed with clearings. Much of the park is wooded with mature oak trees and a natural upland forest understory. While the character of the park is largely natural, it has been subtly enhanced to make the area easily accessible to the public. Curvilinear paths carry visitors through the space, creating what Olmsted called ‘passages of scenery.’ The well-preserved municipal park retains strong historical associations and distinctive landscape features dating from the late 19th century to the present. In addition, the 1734 mile marker embedded in the Adams Street wall is a rare surviving feature associated with the early history of Dorchester. Dorchester Park is one of the best preserved of Boston’s large 19th century neighborhood parks, and one of the few to retain its essential natural character.”
There are over 65,000 Massachusetts properties listed on the National Register, according to the
Massachusetts Historical Commission. This week, Dot Park can claim to be one of them. Here’s to the men and women from our community who have worked so diligently to make that happen for the benefit of all of us and the generations to come. Well done.
