The Back Bay Fens, most commonly called simply The Fens, is a parkland and urban wild in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States.
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to serve as a link in the Emerald Necklace park system, the Fens gives its name to the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood, which in turn gives their name to Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.
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History
The Fens park is essentially an ancient spot of saltwater marshland which has been surrounded by dry land, disconnected from the tides of the Atlantic Ocean, and landscaped into a park with fresh water within.
When Boston was settled in the early 1600s the Shawmut Peninsula on which it was built was connected to Roxbury by a spit of sandy ground called "The Neck." The adjacent area of marshland to the west was a tidal flat of the Charles River. The area became malodorous with time as it became tainted with sewage from the growing settlement.
For the dual purpose of eliminating the health and aesthetic problem created by the polluted bay waters and creating new and valuable Boston real estate, a series of land reclamation projects was begun in 1820 and continued for the rest of the century. The filling of present-day Back Bay was completed by 1882. Filling reached Kenmore Square in 1890 and finished in the Fens in 1900. These projects more than doubled the size of the Shawmut Peninsula.
Olmsted’s challenge was to restore the spot of marsh which was preserved into an ecologically healthy place that could also be enjoyed as a recreation area. Combining his renowned landscaping talents with state-of-the-art sanitary engineering, he turned a foul-smelling tidal creek and swamp into:
"scenery of a winding, brackish creek, within wooded banks; gaining interest from the meandering course of the water."[1]
Olmsted designed the Fens to be flushed by the tides twice daily. However, in 1910 a dam was constructed at Craigie's Bridge, closing the Charles River estuary to the ocean tides and forming a body of freshwater above the dam. Thus, the Fens became a freshwater lagoon regularly accepting storm water from the Charles River Basin.
Soon after, noted landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff, a protégé of Olmsted, added new features such as the Kelleher Rose Garden and employed the more formal landscape style popular in the 1920s and 1930s. An athletic field was also added.
In 1941, at the outbreak of United States involvement in World War II, citizens planted a Victory Garden within the Fens. While these were common in their era, the one in the Fens is now the last continually operating Victory Garden in existence and today is a much-valued community garden of flowers and vegetables.[1]
In 1961, a group of East Fenway friends and neighbors gathered to address issues in their neighborhood. They formed a neighborhood association called The Fenway Civic Association (FCA). Volunteers took on projects to clean their streets, beautify their surroundings, and protect their residents from crime. Soon the group also started advocating for improved maintenance of parkland and other elements to ensure a safe, enjoyable neighborhood. [2]
Structures & artwork
Agassiz Road Duck House
The Agassiz Road Duck House was designed by architect Alexander Longfellow, and built in 1897. It was used exclusively as a public restroom facility, and was closed after a damaging fire in 1986. The Duck House is sited within a prominent landscape in the Back Bay Fens adjacent to the Agassiz Road bridge - the only building along that roadway. Agassiz Road is a significant pedestrian link between the East and West Fenway neighborhoods though it provides only one-way vehicular circulation. The Duck House structure is approximately 667 net square feet on two levels. The main level is 535 sf. and is accessed from the Agassiz Road side of the building. At the rear of the building is another door which opens into a 132 sf. room set 3.5’ lower than the main floor elevation, and without any direct interior connection to the main level. This lower space was originally a utility room. Much of the building that we see today is original; however, the roof design was simplified when it was reconstructed following the 1986 fire. While the Duck House itself is not a Boston Landmark, its rustic style and relationship to the park makes it an important contributing feature to the Back Bay Fens. Recently, the City of Boston has been reviewing possible ways to revive the Duck House with such ideas as a bicycle rental shop or cafe.
Westland Gate
In 1905 the formal entrance to Olmstead's park was switched to the end of Westland Avenue[3] where the Westland Gate marks a somewhat grand portal to the park.
John Boyle O'Reilly Memorial
Close to the Westland Gate is the John Boyle O'Reilly Memorial. This memorial, sculpted in 1894 by Daniel Chester French memorializes the Irish poet and editor of the Catholic newspaper The Pilot. In the front of the memorial sits the bust of O'Reilly while the backside depicts a statue of Erin weaving a wreath of laurel and oak for her sons Poetry and Patriotism with celtic calligraphy as a backdrop.
Japanese temple bell
The bronze bell was cast in 1675 by Tanaka Gonzaemon under the supervision of Suzuki Magoemon, and dedicated to Bishamon, a Buddhist god of children and good luck.[4] The bell was contributed to the Japanese war effort in 1940 but ended up on a scrap heap in Yokosuku. Sailors from the USS Boston (CA-69) salvaged the bell after World War II, and offered it to the city of Boston in 1945. In 1953, Japanese officials presented the bell to Boston as a symbol of peace.[5]
Contemporary use
As the Fens park is within an area of Boston that includes such sites as Northeastern University, Berklee College of Music, the Boston Latin School, the Museum of Fine Arts, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Simmons College, Harvard Medical School, and the numerous other institutions that comprise the Longwood Medical Area, it is a valued and much-frequented green area within the city.
The Fenway Civic Association works with public agencies to enhance and improve this parkland, reduce vehicular traffic, and protect precious urban resources.
References
- ^ a b Emerald Necklace Conservancy
- ^ Official Site of the Fenway Civic Association
- ^ Marcus, Jon. The Complete Illustrated Guidebook to Boston's Public Parks and Gardens, (Silver Lining Books, NY, 2002),pg 54.
- ^ http://www.bostoninnovation.org/BostonFamilyHistory/immigranttrail/index.html
- ^ http://www.emeraldnecklace.org/static/filelib/EmeraldNecklaceMap.pdf
Gallery
 Longfellow Duck House in the Fall |
 John Boyle O'Reilly Memorial |
 Westland Gate |
 Japanese temple bell |
 Detail of the Japanese temple bell |
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Back Bay Fens |
- City of Boston official neighborhood website: click on Fenway-Kenmore
- Fenway Victory Gardens
- Photos of the End of Summer in the Fens
- Boston’s Back Bay Fens: a Sectional Story, Kathy Poole, 1997 Accessed 2008-09-30
- Reviving Duck House
Coordinates: 42°20′32″N 71°05′35″W / 42.342289°N 71.093023°W
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