Elm Park (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Elm Park
Location Elm Park, Worcester, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°16′3″N 71°49′13″W / 42.26750°N 71.82028°W / 42.26750; -71.82028Coordinates: 42°16′3″N 71°49′13″W / 42.26750°N 71.82028°W / 42.26750; -71.82028
Built 1854
Architect Lincoln, Edward Winslow
MPS Worcester MRA
NRHP Reference #

70000096

[1]
Added to NRHP July 01, 1970

Elm Park is an historic park in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The land the park resides on was purchased in 1854, making it one of the first purchases of land to be set aside for use as a public park in the United States.[2] Elm Park originally consisted of the land bordered by Park Avenue, Russell Street, Elm Street and Highland Street. In 1888, Newton Hill, just across Park Avenue, was purchased by the City of Worcester bringing the total park area to 60 acres (24 ha).[3]

The original portion of Elm Park (east of Park Avenue) was, up until the 1890s merely more than pasture land. Shortly thereafter, it was redesigned and landscaped by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted[4][5] and contains meandering walking paths through the landscaping, a pond crossed by two iconic footbridges and a playground. The Newton Hill portion of Elm Park (west of Park Avenue) remains far less landscaped and contains basketball and tennis courts, walking trails and also Doherty Memorial High School, a high school within the Worcester Public Schools system.[3] St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral (founded around 1920) is located adjacent to the park on Russell Street.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[1]

Photos

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ City of Worcester, City Parks, Parks & Recreation Dept.
  3. 1 2 City of Worcester, Elm Park, Parks & Recreation Dept.
  4. ↑ City of Worcester, Parks, Division of Economic Development
  5. ↑ Massachusetts DCR, Regional Historic Context document PDF, pages 24, 32, 36


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