Danehy Park

Last updated

Thomas W. Danehy Park is a park in North Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its eastern entrance is at 99 Sherman Street. It is bounded on the north by the MBTA Fitchburg Line and to the west by Fresh Pond Mall.

The lands in northwest Cambridge had previously been a brickyard and, from 1952, a city dumping ground. [1] [2] The landfill closed in the early 1970s, at which point the city of Cambridge allowed the MBTA to use the land as a staging area during construction of the Red Line in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [2] The MBTA also dumped soil excavated from tunnels on the site. After a redevelopment effort that cost $11 million, the 50-acre (20 ha) expanse opened to the public in 1990, containing athletic fields, paths, and a wetland area. [1] [3]

The park was named after Thomas W. Danehy, mayor of Cambridge from 1978 to 1979.

Engineering firm Camp Dresser & McKee led development efforts. [4] Opening ceremonies included a skydiver. [5] Danehy Park increased Cambridge's open space by 20%. [2]

Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal often frequented the park with his entourage after its opening, which led to controversy when a limousine was driven onto the park's athletic fields. [6] [7]

The park has a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) path made of recycled glass and asphalt designed by the artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles that culminates atop a hill that is Cambridge's highest point at 72 feet (22 meters) above sea level. [8]

Danehy Park has been identified by the Society of Architectural Historians and American Society of Landscape Architects as one of the first examples of a landfill redeveloped as a park in New England. [9] [10]

It is the location of Cambridge's first Miyawaki forest, planted in September 2021. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (MBTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Massachusetts, US

The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of the MBTA subway system. The line runs south and east underground from Alewife station in North Cambridge through Somerville and Cambridge, surfacing to cross the Longfellow Bridge then returning to tunnels under Downtown Boston. It continues underground through South Boston, splitting into two branches on the surface at JFK/UMass station. The Ashmont branch runs southwest through Dorchester to Ashmont station, where the connecting light rail Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line continues to Mattapan station. The Braintree branch runs southwest through Quincy and Braintree to Braintree station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall Square</span> Neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allston</span> Neighborhood of Boston in Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent neighborhood of Brighton. The two are often referred to together as Allston–Brighton. Boston Police Department District D-14 covers the Allston-Brighton area and a Boston Fire Department Allston station is located in Union Square which houses Engine 41 and Ladder 14. Engine 41 is nicknamed "The Bull" to commemorate the historic stockyards of Allston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roslindale</span> Neighborhood of Boston in Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Roslindale is a primarily residential neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury and Mattapan. It is served by an MBTA Commuter Rail line, several MBTA bus lines and the MBTA Orange Line in nearby Jamaica Plain. Roslindale has its own branch of the Boston Public Library, the neighborhood is covered by Boston Police District E-5 in West Roxbury, Boston EMS Ambulance 17 is stationed in Roslindale, and the Boston Fire Department has a station on Canterbury Street which houses Ladder 16, Engine 53 & District Chief 12. Roslindale's original Engine Company 45, was deactivated on April 10, 1981, due to budget cuts. Roslindale was once called the "garden suburb" of Boston. The portion of the Arnold Arboretum south of Bussey Street is located in Roslindale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston)</span> Major road in Greater Boston

Massachusetts Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts, and several cities and towns northwest of Boston. According to Boston magazine, "Its 16 miles of blacktop run from gritty industrial zones to verdant suburbia, homeless encampments, passing gentrified brownstones, college campuses and bustling commercial strips."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longwood Medical and Academic Area</span> Medical campus in Boston, Massachusetts

The Longwood Medical and Academic Area is a medical campus in Boston, Massachusetts. Flanking Longwood Avenue, LMA is adjacent to the Fenway–Kenmore, Audubon Circle, and Mission Hill neighborhoods, as well as the town of Brookline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Port, Cambridge</span>

The Port, formerly Area 4, is a neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, roughly between Central Square, Inman Square, and MIT. It is bounded on the south by Massachusetts Avenue, on the west by Prospect Street, on the north by Hampshire Street, and on the east by the Grand Junction Railroad tracks. Area 4 is a densely populated residential neighborhood with about 7,000 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Vincent Hubbard</span> American landscape architect

Henry Vincent Hubbard was an American landscape architect and planner, famous for his unique teaching styles at Harvard University, and his many publications. He was one of the prime supporters for a national system of public parks.

North Quincy is a neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts. It is separated from the city of Boston by the Neponset River, and borders the Quincy neighborhoods of Squantum, Montclair and Wollaston. It contains the smaller neighborhoods of Atlantic and Norfolk Downs, as well as much of Wollaston Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Point Park (Massachusetts)</span> Park in Massachusetts, United States

North Point Park is an 8.5-acre (3.4 ha) park located along the left bank of the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Boston's West End, created as mitigation for the taking of planned parkland for the construction of the Big Dig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Quincy</span>

South Quincy is a neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts. Located in the south central portion of the city, South Quincy is bordered on the north by Quincy Center and West Quincy, on the east by Quincy Avenue and the Quincy Point neighborhood, on the south by Braintree and on the west by Interstate 93.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malkin Athletic Center</span> Athletic building at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) is a 1,000-seat multi-purpose arena and athletic facility at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Cambridge Discovery Park, formerly known as Acorn Park, is a 30 acres (12 ha) office and laboratory campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located along Massachusetts Route 2, and is connected to the Alewife Red Line subway terminus and bus station by a walking path, and to the Minuteman Bikeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beacon Park Yard</span> Former rail freight yard in Boston planned for redevelopment

Beacon Park Yard was a CSX Transportation rail yard in Allston, Boston, now owned by Harvard University. The yard opened in 1890 on the site of a former trotting park, from which it took its name. It was closed in 2013 following the relocation of the yard's container operations to Worcester, Massachusetts and opening of a transload facility in Westborough, Massachusetts. Plans for the yard include relocation of the Massachusetts Turnpike Allston exit, construction of a new MBTA commuter rail station and layover yard, and a major real estate development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boylston Hall (Harvard University)</span> Classroom and academic office building in Harvard Yard, Harvard University

Boylston Hall is a Harvard University classroom and academic office building lecture hall near the southwest corner of Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peabody Terrace</span> Housing complex at Harvard University

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doyle Community Park & Center</span> Urban park and open reservation

The Doyle Community Park & Center, located in the city of Leominster, Massachusetts, is a 170-acre (69 ha) landscaped urban park and open space reservation managed by The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit conservation organization. It is also the location of the Doyle Center: a conservation education center, regional office, and green building initiative. The property consists of three main areas: Pierce Meadow, a landscaped urban park and former estate of Harry W. Pierce; the Doyle Center grounds, buildings, and adjoining woodlots; and a hay field and adjoining wetland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flagstaff Park</span>

Flagstaff Park is a park in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.

Thomas W. Danehy (1929–2000) served as Cambridge mayor in 1978 and 1979, and on Cambridge City Council between 1965 and 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocket forest</span>

A pocket forest or Miyawaki forest is created by planting native trees, shrubs and groundcover plants to form a canopy layer of tall trees, a shrub layer, and ground cover in small urban areas. The concept was pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki as a means of restoring native plant species in damaged ecosystems. The concept has been embraced by environmentalists as a means of teaching urban residents about native forest environments.

References

  1. 1 2 Brown, Elizabeth (May 13, 1989). "Turning trash heaps into places of use". Chicago Tribune.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mayor Thomas W. Danehy Park" (PDF).
  3. O'Connell, Kim (December 1999). "A landfill's second career proves successful". Waste Age. 30: 6–8.
  4. Kissida, John (August 1991). "Landfill Park: From Eyesore to Asset". Civil Engineering. 61: 49–51.
  5. "The Scene". Philadelphia Inquirer. September 18, 1990.
  6. Gerstein, Joshua (October 22, 1990). "Residents claim royalty abuse park". The Harvard Crimson.
  7. Howe, Peter (October 25, 1990). "Some in Cambridge call prince a royal pain". Boston Globe.
  8. "Art project to reflect heritage of city park". Environment Today. 4: 57. April 1933.
  9. Morgan, Keith (July 17, 2018). "Mayor Thomas W. Danehy Park". Society of Architectural Historians.
  10. Hazelrigg, George (September 2005). "From Landfills to Play Fields". Landscape Architecture Magazine. 95 (9): 140–143.
  11. "First Miyawaki Forest planted in the Northeast in Massachusetts". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  12. "Amid Mounting Climate Threats, Danehy Park's Miyawaki Forest Puts Down Roots | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved December 26, 2022.

42°23′20″N71°08′10″W / 42.389°N 71.136°W / 42.389; -71.136