93-726: Franklin Park , a partially wooded 527-acre (2.13 km) parkland bordered by the Jamaica Plain , Roxbury , and Dorchester neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts , is maintained by the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department. It is Boston's biggest park and the site of Franklin Park Zoo . It was designated a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in August 1980. Considered
186-649: A country park when it was formed in the 19th century, Franklin Park is the largest and last component of the Emerald Necklace created by Frederick Law Olmsted . Although often neglected in the past, it is considered the "crown jewel" of Olmsted's work in Greater Boston . It is bordered primarily by Forest Hills St., Walnut Ave., Seaver St., Blue Hill Ave., Walk Hill St., and the American Legion Highway. Franklin Park, previously known as West Roxbury Park,
279-518: A coalition of local churches contracted with an experienced Rhode Island–based community organizer, Richard W. "Rick" Wise, who built a series of neighborhood groups and a coalition of leaders into The Jamaica Plain Banking and Mortgage Committee and working with groups from other Boston neighborhoods, leveraged that into the citywide Boston Anti-Redlining Coalition (BARC), The coalition, chaired by long-time neighborhood activist Edwina "Winky" Cloherty, crafted
372-552: A cycle of disinvestment which led to the deterioration of the housing stock, slumlording and abandonment particularly in the central neighborhood along the edges of the corridor. In some cases, homeowners who could not sell due to lack of buyer financing simply walked away from older homes along the corridor's periphery. Urban Edge, founded as a non-profit real estate firm in 1974, found it necessary to recruit volunteer tenants to physically take possession of empty properties to prevent vandalism and arson. Anecdotal evidence suggests that
465-629: A grand staircase leading to a large courtyard, framed by several large iron bear cages. One of these cages featured a detailed stone sculpture of bears and the crest of the City of Boston. Plans of expanding the Long Crouch Woods section of the zoo never came to fruition. As the grounds deteriorated, and as the Parks Department neglected many of the landscape's most basic management needs, the Bear Dens became too expensive to maintain. The exhibit area
558-611: A landmark. The park received that designation on August 26, 1980, joining two other sections of the Emerald Necklace ( Boston Common and Boston Public Garden ). It was included as part of the Olmsted Park System when that landscape complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 8, 1971. From the proceeds of the sale of the Winthrop Square Garage for redevelopment as Winthrop Center ,
651-583: A large number of Latin owned businesses and residents, and is the center of local festivals, churches, and activist groups, such as La Piñata, the ¡Viva! el Latin Quarter project of the Hyde Square Task Force, and nearby Vida Urbana. The newspaper El Mundo is based in Hyde Square. The elimination of redlining and the stabilization of the real estate market in the late 1970s and the redevelopment of
744-626: A local institution that would guarantee to invest that money in mortgages within Jamaica Plain. The plan eventually generated five hundred thousand dollars in pledges. In 1975 a contract was signed with the Jamaica Plain Cooperative Bank to implement the Community Investment plan. In 1974, the community rallied and under the aegis of an Alinsky -style organizing project funded by The Ecumenical Social Action Committee (ESAC)
837-577: A new effort. Work continued until 1908, when the brook was placed into a shallow culvert from Forest Hills to its present outlet in the Boston Fens, behind the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston . In the following years, the brook that once defined the industrial heart of Jamaica Plain was largely forgotten, until it was memorialized by the new Stony Brook Orange Line station at Boylston Street. Breweries continued to be major employers during these years. On Heath Street,
930-1057: A part of the DCR's Historic Curatorship Program . The Division of Water Supply Protection manages 150,000 acres (610 km ) of watershed lands and is responsible for the protection of the drinking water supply for approximately 2.5 million residents of Massachusetts, primarily in Greater Boston. This division monitors lakes and ponds, well drillers, and rainfall throughout the Commonwealth. Protected water supply areas include Quabbin Reservoir , Ware River Watershed, Wachusett Reservoir and Sudbury Reservoir . The Bureau of Engineering provides professional engineering, design, and construction management services in support of DCR properties. In addition to providing engineering services for over 450,000 acres (1,800 km ) of parks, forests, watersheds, beaches, 340 dams, and numerous recreational facilities,
1023-415: A pledge from Gubernatorial candidate Michael Dukakis to require that state chartered banks disclose their lending patterns annually by ZIP code. Upon his election, ignoring threats of litigation by the banks, Dukakis kept his word. On May 16, 1975, the new Banking Commissioner Carol S. Greenwald issued the first statewide mortgage disclosure regulation in the U.S. Subsequent studies based on data obtained by
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#17328525658511116-521: A retail main street, with grocers attracting local business providing products from the West Indies and common household goods. During the 1840s, as commuters from Boston settled in Jamaica Plain, the local market grew, with artisans and businesses - with proprietors living in the community - providing much of the needed products and services. In the Stony Brook valley along the rail line adjacent to Roxbury,
1209-644: A second track in 1860, a third in 1870, and a fourth in 1890. Many of the new residents were Irish and Catholic, and to serve their needs the Archdiocese of Boston began construction of St Thomas Aquinas Church on South Street, with a grammar school following in 1873. In less than a generation, Jamaica Plain had changed significantly, and the wealthy estate owners no longer held power. In 1873, West Roxbury residents – most living in Jamaica Plain – voted in favor of annexation to Boston. The Town of West Roxbury had grown from 2,700 residents in 1850 to 9,000 in 1875, and many of
1302-630: A significant part in local life during these years. The increase in Catholic residents resulted in the building of new churches to join St Thomas Aquinas. Our Lady of Lourdes was built in 1896 in Brookside, and Blessed Sacrament, built to serve the residents of Hyde Square, was finished in 1917. St Andrews on Walk Hill street in Forest Hills came soon after. Each church had an elementary school that anchored
1395-581: A small industrial center formed, with small chemical factories, tanneries and soap factories taking advantage of the running water, isolation, access to transportation, and available land. Reflecting the growing population, a number of new churches were built. Four churches opened and served the new, more varied population. By 1850, the once agricultural community had seen a significant change in its population. Only 10% of its heads of household were listed as farmers, while 28% were businessmen and professionals, and another 20% were Irish-born. In an effort to stem
1488-419: A transportation reform law. Originally, a certain number of bridges listed in the act creating MassDOT were to be transferred after December 31, 2014 when ongoing construction was completed. However, a Memorandum of Agreement between DCR and MassDOT instead transferred these bridges in 2009 along with all other DCR vehicular bridges. The Bureau of Engineering manages and/or operates a number of parkways across
1581-426: A unique and ultimately successful campaign to force Boston Banks to reveal their lending patterns and a "Greenlining campaign" to both stimulate residential investment in the neighborhood. as well as to publicize and stop the redlining. In 2019, Richard Wise published a novel, Redlined, which outlines the essential elements of the anti-redlining campaign. In October 1974, the committee was also successful in securing
1674-614: Is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , United States, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs . It is best known for its parks and parkways . The DCR's mission is "To protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well-being of all." The agency is the largest landowner in Massachusetts. The Department of Conservation and Recreation
1767-598: Is also part of the Emerald Necklace . From south to north these are the Arborway , the Jamaicaway , and the Riverway . The area also includes Forest Hills Cemetery , a 275-acre (1.1 km ) “ garden cemetery ”, and hundreds more acres of cemetery that stretch along Walk Hill Street offer more green space to the area. Students in Jamaica Plain are served by Boston Public Schools (BPS). BPS assigns students based on preferences of
1860-404: Is also possible the area was named to honor this recent British victory. On some maps, until the mid-19th century, the area was marked as "Jamaica Plains". John Ruggles and Hugh Thomas donated land in 1676 for the building of the community's first school. A gift of 75 acres (30 ha) of land south of the "Great Pond" by John Eliot provided financial support for the school, which was named
1953-462: Is currently the JP Licks ice cream store. Many first-time homebuyers were able to afford the house and condominium prices in Jamaica Plain during this time. In the mid-1980s, an important music scene developed in Jamaica Plain which continues to the present day. Revitalization continued in the 1990s. Nonprofit housing groups bought rundown houses and vacant lots to create low-income rental units. During
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#17328525658512046-566: Is now Jamaica Plain. In the next few years, William Curtis, John May and others set up farms nearby along Stony Brook , which flowed from south to north from Turtle Pond (in Hyde Park ) to an outlet in the Charles River marshes in the current filled-in Fens area of Boston. John Polley followed with a farm which he purchased from Lt. Joshua Hewe in 1659 at the site of the present-day Soldier's Monument at
2139-587: Is now home to a supermarket. In 1900, Jamaica Plain had a significant immigrant population, which helped shape the future of the community. Many Irish had settled in large numbers in the Heath Street, South Street, Forest Hills and Stony Brook area (Brookside), taking laboring and domestic jobs, and becoming one-quarter of the population. Germans had reached 14%, living in Hyde Square, Egleston Square and Brookside, employed as skilled workers and managers, with their own social clubs and churches. Canadians , many from
2232-524: Is responsible for the stewardship of its lands, from general maintenance—such as emptying trash barrels, cutting grass, and making building improvements—to landscape-level management. DCR also provides services beyond its boundaries, for example, Bureau of Forest Fire Control is available to aid and assist local cities and towns during natural disasters as well as periods of high fire danger, while its Bureau of Forestry administers forest management on both state and private lands. It also manages its land through
2325-453: Is scenic and devoted to the general use and enjoyment of the public. Scarboro Pond and Ellicott Arch are popular sites within the park, as are the large forested areas. The park also has picnic areas, stone bridges, outcroppings of Roxbury Puddingstone , and old stone ruins, specifically the Long Crouch Woods of Roxbury—also known as "the Bear Dens." In March 4, 1980, the Boston Landmarks Commission recommended that Franklin Park be designated
2418-517: The Billy Taylor Trio and the Boston Pops . From 1823–1824, before the park was created, Ralph Waldo Emerson lived in a small cabin atop what is now named "Schoolmaster Hill", running a "School for Young Ladies" with his mother and brother. Emerson drew upon the landscape for inspiration for nature poetry and essays. Besides a plaque devoted to Emerson's memory, Schoolmaster Hill offers views of
2511-559: The Boston and Providence Rail Road began service, with special low "commuter" fares offered residents in 1839. Stops at Boylston Street and Tollgate (present day Forest Hills) were joined by a station at Woolsey Square (Green Street) at the request of local residents. Green Street, laid out in 1836 to connect Centre Street and the Toll road, (Washington Street) became a hub of local artisans and builders. Soon after, Centre Street near Green Street became
2604-544: The Dominican Republic , but also from Puerto Rico and Cuba . As of 2010 the ethnic make-up of Jamaica Plain was 53.6% White (alone), 22% Hispanic or Latino (all races), 13.5% Black or African-American (alone), 7.9% Asian (alone), 3% Other. In 2016, the neighborhood between Jackson Square and Hyde Square was officially designated the "Latin Quarter" by the city of Boston, after years of informal recognition by residents, Latin activists, and local politicians. The area has
2697-527: The Great Depression , and never recovered their lost market share. After the plant closed in 1953, the building was torn down by the City of Boston for the new Bromley Heath public housing projects. During the late 19th century, Jamaica Plain's housing stock grew with the commercial development, providing homes for workers in local businesses and commuters as well. Sumner Hill, based on the old Greenough estate, became home to business owners and managers. In
2790-784: The Tropical Forest (formerly called the African Tropical Forest ), opened in September 1989. The zoo is the second largest zoo in New England , after the Southwick's Zoo in Mendon . The Long Crouch Woods, the location of the historic "Bear Dens", is also located within the park. Once the focus of the zoo, the Bear Dens were designed and built in 1912, and were planned to have a small collection of domestic animals. The original grounds featured
2883-591: The elevated rapid transit train line on Washington Street and replace it with a below-grade line alongside the train tracks. With the new transit lines in place following the old train embankment, the Southwest Corridor park was built from Forest Hills north through the old Stony Brook valley. Changes to the transit service through Jamaica Plain were followed with a change to the streetcar route as well. The Arborway line, which had been in service since 1903, had long been considered for replacement with bus service by
Franklin Park (Boston) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-575: The 1870s, with the first brick commercial building erected in 1875. In 1873, the imposing brick police station was built on Seaverns Avenue, and a year later the recently built Eliot School was renamed West Roxbury High School, only to be changed to Jamaica Plain High School after annexation. The Stony Brook valley had long been the industrial center of Jamaica Plain. In 1871, the Haffenreffer brewery opened near Boylston and Amory Streets, taking advantage of
3069-521: The 1880s, the Parley Vale estate and Robinwood Avenue were developed to serve the same market. Ten years later, Moss Hill Road and Woodland Road were laid out on land owned by the Bowditch family, creating the most exclusive neighborhood in Jamaica Plain until this day. At the same time, the land off South Street was being developed into streets and filled with houses for the working-class population, especially
3162-597: The 1890s, when the City of Boston bought the pond. During the China trade ships going toward the Orient needed ballast and excess harvested ice was used from the Pond. Ships went around Cape Horn up to San Francisco where the ice was sold. Continuing the transportation development that both served Jamaica Plain's commuters and spurred further urban development, the Boston and Providence company added
3255-560: The 19th century, Jamaica Plain became one of the first streetcar suburbs in America and home to a significant portion of Boston's Emerald Necklace of parks, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted . In 2020, Jamaica Plain had a population of 41,012 according to the United States Census . Shortly after the founding of Boston and Roxbury in 1630, William Heath 's family and three others settled on land just south of Parker Hill in what
3348-750: The ABC Brewery, the Gormley Funeral Home, the Eblana Brewery, the Oliver Ditson Company, 319 Centre Street, Jackson Square, JP Cohousing, Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of the Way, and 80 Bickford Street. The oldest community theater group in the US, Footlight Club , is based out of Eliot Hall in this neighborhood, on Eliot Street. Jamaica Plain is made up of a number of distinct historical sub-districts. Some of
3441-464: The Blue Hills . Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood of 4.4 square miles (11 km ) in Boston , Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury . The community seceded from Roxbury during the formation of West Roxbury in 1851 and became part of Boston when West Roxbury was annexed in 1874. In
3534-719: The British broke the siege of Boston . With the American Revolution , many of the Tory estate owners fled the country, and were replaced by the rising elite of the new Boston. In 1777, John Hancock purchased an estate near the pond. The widow Ann Doane bought the estate once owned by Loyalist Joshua Loring (which is still standing, as the Loring-Greenough House ). She soon was remarried, to attorney David S. Greenough. When Samuel Adams became governor of Massachusetts , he bought
3627-561: The Bureau of Engineering also manages over 525 lane miles of parkways and nearly 300 bridges and tunnels notable for their landmark stature and importance in the Commonwealth's transportation system. The Bureau of Engineering managed and/or operated a number of bridges across the Commonwealth prior to November 2009. All non-pedestrian bridges were transferred to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on November 1, 2009 as part of
3720-623: The Eliot School (which still exists) in his honor. During the 18th century, the farms of the Jamaica section of Roxbury transitioned from subsistence to market orientation, serving the growing Boston population. At the same time, wealthy men bought land and built estates in the bucolic countryside. In 1740, Benjamin Faneuil, nephew of Boston merchant Peter Faneuil , bought land between Centre Street and Stony Brook. In 1752, Commodore Joshua Loring bought
3813-700: The Highland Spring Brewery had been operating since 1867. In the 1880s, the Eblana and Park breweries and the American Brewing Company opened, taking advantage of local German and Irish immigrants to fill jobs. Franklin Brewery extended the beermaking district to Washington Street. These and other breweries were all closed to beer making during Prohibition, and few survived to reopen after repeal, although many found other uses, and some still stand. An exception
Franklin Park (Boston) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-500: The Irish. By the early 20th century, the streets of Jamaica Plain were filled in, and houses or businesses were on most buildable plots. The entire housing stock of Jamaica Plain had been owned, divided, financed, built and sold largely by Jamaica Plain residents. The year 1900 brought another major employer to Jamaica Plain when Thomas Gustave Plant built a factory for his Queen Quality Shoe Company at Centre and Bickford Streets, said to be
3999-575: The Maritime Provinces, made up 12% of the population, often working in white collar or skilled jobs. Italians would come as well, in the years after 1910. New technologies allowed local businesses to provide jobs into the new century. In the 1910s, Randall-Faichney Company manufactured automobile parts, and the Holtzer-Cabot Company moved from making electric motors and telephone switching equipment to add electric automobiles. Religion played
4092-607: The Mystic River Watershed Association, Friends of the Middlesex Fells, Appalachian Mountain Club, and local student organizations. The Division of State Parks is responsible for the maintenance and management of over 310,000 acres (1,250 km ) of state-owned forests and parks. These areas are designated as either Woodlands, Parklands, or Reserves, and are managed to maintain specific land-use characteristics. From
4185-460: The Southwest Corridor set the stage for gentrification that began in the 1990s. A hot real estate market has driven dramatic increases in the value of older homes in the Parkside, Pondside and Sumner Hill neighborhoods and conversion of some larger residential properties and older commercial buildings into condominia . Numerous formerly vacant structures are being converted to residential use, among them
4278-517: The Stony Brook aquifer and the presence of German immigrants in the area. The same year, the Boylston Schul Verein German social club opened just across the railroad tracks, one of many organizations that served German residents in the neighborhood. To the south, the B.F. Sturtevant Company opened an industrial fan factory in 1878 along the railroad tracks between Williams and Green Street, which grew to employ 500 employees. In 1901,
4371-554: The Town of West Roxbury, from 1795 to 1886. Carriages carried people to Roxbury and Boston on Centre Street (then, the Highway to Dedham), and in 1806 on the new Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike toll road (present day Washington Street). In 1826, "hourlies" ran from Jamaica Plain to Roxbury and Boston on a regular schedule, and the 1830s brought larger "omnibuses" to carry the growing passenger base. The first train line reached Jamaica Plain in 1834 when
4464-664: The Tuesday Club formed for women (who were not admitted to the other groups), and still exists at the Loring Greenough house. In the late 19th century, Boston's Emerald Necklace of parks was designed and built by Frederick Law Olmsted, with much of the southern section of the connecting parkland in or bordering on Jamaica Plain. Olmsted Park , Jamaica Pond , the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park have been enjoyed by generations of Jamaica Plain residents. The pond had long been
4557-546: The administration of Mayor Marty Walsh allocated $ 28 million for a renovation of Franklin Park, including $ 5 million for a maintenance endowment. An action plan for the renovation was posted for public comment in December 2022. Franklin Park Zoo is located within the park grounds. Founded in 1912, the 72-acre (290,000 m) zoo has such exotic animals as lions , tigers , pygmy hippos , Masai giraffes , budgerigars , Amur leopards , western lowland gorillas , and Grévy's zebra . One of its most popular exhibit attractions,
4650-425: The agency's beginning in 2003 until 2012, DCR land management was organized into three divisions: State Parks and Recreation, Urban Parks and Recreation, and Water Supply Protection. In 2012, State Parks and Urban Parks were unified into one division. As of 2009, within the greater Boston area there are urban wilds, historic sites, and other naturally aesthetic or significant environmental properties. The origins of
4743-479: The applicants and priorities of students in various zones. The English High School located in Jamaica Plain is one of the first public high schools in America . The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston operates Roman Catholic schools. In spring 2009 the archdiocese announced that Our Lady of Lourdes School, a K–8 school and the last Catholic school in Jamaica Plain, will close unless parents raise $ 500,000 for one additional year of instruction. In spring 2009
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#17328525658514836-479: The area, especially those who attended the Museum School , Mass Art , and Northeastern University , who often lived in collective households. The neighborhood also developed a lesbian and gay community. The presence of artists in the neighborhood led to the opening of local galleries and bookstores, and arts centers such as the Jamaica Plain Arts Center, which shared space in a vacated City of Boston Firehouse with Brueggers Bagel Company for several years. This site
4929-420: The average life span of an abandoned building was approximately one week. Windows were broken, copper plumbing was stripped out, and buildings were torched. After conducting a research project that documented a dramatic decrease in mortgage lending between 1968 and 1972, activists launched the Jamaica Plain Community Investment Plan . The plan called upon local citizens to pledge to move their savings accounts to
5022-524: The banking commissioner demonstrated that there was indeed a pattern of disinvestment in the central neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain. Later that year, The Jamaica Plain Banking & Mortgage Committee together with its citywide Boston Anti-Redlining Coalition (BARC) were part of a coalition, under the leadership of the Chicago-based National People's Action, instrumental in the passage of the Federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 . According to former commissioner Greenwald: "Massachusetts success in getting
5115-422: The banks to reveal their lending policies was followed by similar actions in New York, California and Illinois." In the following years, real estate prices stabilized, mortgage money became available and The Southwest Corridor Coalition a task force of local citizens broken down by neighborhoods and aided by state officials, put together a comprehensive master plan to redevelop the corridor. They decided to remove
5208-471: The city, the Franklin Park Coalition cleared the trash out of the area in 2002, and in 2007 was awarded a grant of $ 36,000 for materials and professional landscaping work to restore paths in the Long Crouch Woods area of Franklin Park. The project was completed with labor from summer youth crews comprising at-risk teens from the surrounding area. Franklin Park contains the eighteen-hole William J. Devine Memorial Golf Course (the second oldest public course in
5301-553: The collective environments in this part of the division date back to the creation of the Metropolitan Park Commission in 1893, forming the first such regional system in the United States. (see Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston for history). Lands outside of the greater Boston area includes some 29 campgrounds , over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of trails, 87 beaches, 37 swimming, wading, and spray pools, 62 playgrounds, 55 ballfields, 145 miles (233 km) of paved bike and rail trails and once private homes and estates that are now
5394-412: The command of Captain Lemuel Child and are commemorated on a plaque next to the Civil War Monument. In 1775, troops from Rhode Island and Connecticut were quartered with residents of Jamaica Plain. General Washington stationed troops on Weld Hill, today's Bussey Hill in the Arnold Arboretum. The units protected the road south to Dedham (Centre Street), where the American arsenal was kept, in case
5487-430: The construction of the highway, including a now-annual community festival, called "Wake Up The Earth", that mustered residents from surrounding neighborhoods in opposition to the highway. The project had already demolished hundreds of houses and commercial buildings in the highway's path before then-Governor Francis W. Sargent ordered to stop the interstate project. In the 1980s, the Southwest Corridor in its present form
5580-436: The east side of the railroad tracks for the new Jamaica Plain Gas Light Company. In 1857, the new West Roxbury Railroad Company extended their horse rail car line to a depot on South Street, at the site of today's public housing project opposite McBride Street. During the same years, ice houses lined the south shore of Jamaica Pond. Ice was harvested each winter by the Jamaica Plain Ice Company and sold in Boston and beyond until
5673-404: The factory suffered a massive fire and the company moved to Hyde Park several miles south. The continued movement of both residents and businesses into the Stony Brook valley brought calls to contain the brook, prevent floods, and provide sewer drainage. During the 1870s, the brook was deepened and contained within wooden walls, but the spring thaw resulted in flooding of surrounding streets, and
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#17328525658515766-473: The former Peacock Tavern. It was located on Centre Street (near today's Allandale Street and the Faulkner Hospital ). With his wealth made in the China trade , James Perkins built his home, Pinebank, overlooking Jamaica Pond in 1802. The early years of the 19th century continued the trends of the post-Independence years. An aqueduct was built to Boston and inner Roxbury by the Jamaica Pond Aqueduct Corporation, which provided water to Boston, Roxbury and later
5859-631: The help of partners, including road repairs occasionally implemented by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation at the request of DCR. Police protection has been provided by the Massachusetts Environmental Police and the Massachusetts State Police after the MDC's police department was merged into the State Police in 1992. The DCR also maintains its own Bureau of Ranger Services which provides for public safety, search & rescue, and enforces violations on DCR owned and managed property. In addition to partnering with state agencies, DCR coordinates with local and national volunteer organizations, such as
5952-503: The housing along the embankment came to be devalued, and property to the east of the train line was cut off from the higher income sections of the community. In the early 1970s, the city of Boston planned to extend I-95 from Canton north into downtown Boston. This threatened to bring I-95 straight through the center of Jamaica Plain, essentially dividing the community in half if executed. Many protests along with support from residents of Jamaica Plain, Roxbury and Hyde Park, rallied to stop
6045-435: The increase in property taxes to support the rapidly urbanizing inner Roxbury area, the owners of the large estates in Jamaica Plain led a successful effort in 1851 to secede from Roxbury and form a new, suburban town of West Roxbury. Meanwhile, growth continued unabated. In 1850, David S. Greenough developed the south end of his family land into four streets, including today's McBride Street. Three years later, he sold land along
6138-431: The intersection of South and Centre streets, closer to the "Great Pond", later known as Jamaica Pond . Later, for services rendered during the Pequot War , Joseph Weld received a grant of 278 acres (1.1 km ) of land between South Street and Centre Street. His son John built a home along South Street in the area which is now the Arnold Arboretum . The Weld family continued to live in the area for many generations. In
6231-431: The largest women's shoe factory in the world at the time, with five thousand workers. In order to avoid the labor strife that was common at the time, the company offered a park beside the factory, recreation rooms, a gym, library, dance hall, and sponsored sports teams that competed in local leagues. Shoes continued to be made in the building until the 1950s, but arson burned the massive brick structure down in 1976. The site
6324-403: The late 1650s, the name "Jamaica" first appears on maps for the area of Roxbury between Stony Brook and the Great Pond. There are a number of theories regarding the origin of the name "Jamaica Plain". A well-known theory traces the origin to "Jamaica rum", a reference to Jamaican cane sugar's role in the Triangle Trade of sugar , rum , and slaves . There were taverns on the Road to Dedham in
6417-453: The names are now archaic, used less by longtime residents than scholars and real estate agents. Jamaica Plain, often referred to in the 19th century as "the Eden of America", [1] is one of the greenest neighborhoods in the city of Boston. The community contains or is bordered by a number of jewels of the Emerald Necklace park system designed in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted : These parks are connected by parkways, each of which
6510-404: The nation) as well as tennis courts , baseball fields , and several basketball courts . The Boston Rugby Football Club ( Boston RFC ) plays their matches at the park. There are large open areas used for lacrosse and soccer . One area of the park is used for cricket on Sunday afternoons. The park is a famed cross country course, hosting a number of high school and collegiate meets throughout
6603-414: The new residents wanted the advantages of the services (street grading, sewer lines) that the City of Boston could provide. As Jamaica Plain became a part of Boston , the rate of growth continued to increase. The triple decker house, a defining image in urban New England architecture, first showed up in the 1870s, and spread rapidly in the 1890s. In Jamaica Plain, the first commercial blocks were built in
6696-460: The old Polley farm and built a home to which he retired. At Jamaica Pond, the provincial governor, Francis Bernard , built a summer home on 60 acres (240,000 m ). In 1769, the community's first church was built paid for by Susannah and Benjamin Pemberton before permission was granted from the two existing parishes of Roxbury. After many appeals and bargains, the families along South Street and to
6789-451: The parish and bred a strong loyalty in parishioners, and in 1927, St Thomas parish added a high school, which remained open until 1975. Protestant churches inspired a similar local loyalty. Many of the local factory managers served in leadership positions in nearby churches. Central Congregational Church had women's, children's and missionary groups that brought neighbors of different economic classes together. Other civic associations brought
6882-496: The park as a racing facility, including erosion and disturbances of residents who wish to use the park for walks or peaceful bike rides. As races are hosted almost every Saturday (and a good number of Sundays) this issue will continue to be controversial. Franklin Park is often cited as the location of the "first game of intercollegiate ice hockey played in the United States" on January 19, 1898. Students from Brown University took
6975-709: The people of Jamaica Plain together. In 1897, the Jamaica Plain Carnival Association formed to manage and promote the 4th of July parade, contests and fireworks. Two years later, the Jamaica Plain Businessmen's Association formed to promote commercial development. Within three years, prominent community members were invited to join the newly named Jamaica Plain Citizen's Association. The new group worked to encourage road improvement, playgrounds, lectures, schools, and other community amenities. In 1897,
7068-601: The pickle vats could be seen from the commuter trains passing by. A notable company that moved to Heath Street after prohibition was the Moxie soft drink company. Invented by Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts , in 1876, the company marketed the distinctively flavored Moxie to shift it from medicinal "tonic" to soft drink, much like Coca-Cola , and it outsold Coke in 1920. The company stopped advertising their distinctive product during
7161-544: The same years, the former Plant Shoe Factory site was redeveloped as JP Plaza, a strip mall, and later a supermarket. A new facility for the Martha Eliot Health Center completed the site's redevelopment. As part of a citywide effort, Boston Main Streets districts were named (Hyde/Jackson Square, Egleston Square, and Centre/South), bringing city funds and tools of neighborhood revitalization to local business owners. By
7254-723: The school had 187 students, which was 30 fewer students than its 2005 count. Private schools in the area include the British School of Boston and Showa Boston Institute for Language and Culture . Jamaica Plain is served by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)'s bus and rail services. Major roads are Centre Street, the Jamaicaway (formerly US 1 ), the Arborway ( MA 203 ), Washington Street , South Street, and South Huntington Avenue . Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation ( DCR )
7347-498: The site of estates, which were torn down to make the new park. Fishing and ice skating were popular pastimes, and each winter ice was removed from the pond before the time of electric refrigeration. With the new park, homes and the commercial icehouses were removed. The Arboretum was developed on land originally owned by the Weld family, and donated by Benjamin Bussey , with financial support from
7440-527: The train to Boston, where they commandeered a patch of a frozen pond in Franklin Park, asked pleasure skaters to move aside, and played students from Harvard University . The details and outcome of the game were recorded in the following day's Boston Herald : Brown 6, Harvard 0. Franklin Park has an open-air public performance founded by Elma Lewis, a space known as the "Playhouse in the Park". This area has featured such renowned musicians as Duke Ellington ,
7533-456: The transportation authority. In 1977, trolley service on the Arborway line from downtown Boston was stopped at Heath Street, with buses continuing to Forest Hills. Service resumed, but were cut again in the 1980s, and has not been resumed since. This decision has been challenged by citizen groups in Jamaica Plain in the courts, and is still in dispute. In the 1980s low rents brought many students to
7626-624: The turn of the 21st century, the neighborhood had attracted a large community of college-educated professionals, political activists and artists . Examples of artist and activist organizations active or incorporated in Jamaica Plain include Grassroots International, Urbano Project, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, Boston Postdoctoral Association , City Life/Vida Urbana , JP Progressives, and Bikes Not Bombs . Hyde, Jackson, and Egleston Squares have significant Spanish-speaking populations mainly from
7719-561: The vicinity of Jamaica Plain. Another explanation is that "Jamaica", though a different letter "A" pronunciation, is an Anglicization of the name of Kuchamakin , brother of Chickatawbut , the deceased sachem (chief) of the Massachusett tribe, who ruled the tribe as regent to Chickataubut's minor son, Josias Wampatuck. In 1655, the English navy took the island of Jamaica from the Spanish, so it
7812-636: The west were released by the Second Parish in 1772 and the Third Parish of Roxbury was incorporated, and on May 26, 1773, the colonial legislature granted an act "setting off the nine families and their lands from the First Precinct (or parish) of the Town of Roxbury and annexing to the Third Precinct in the said town." During the occupation of Boston, the colonial assembly met in this building. The church
7905-493: The will of James Arnold . The Arboretum is now owned by the City of Boston, and managed by Harvard University . Perhaps the most dramatic building project in Jamaica Plain history was the elevation of the train line above grade in the 1890s. In order to avoid accidents at street crossings, an embankment was built from Roxbury south through Forest Hills station, with bridges over all intersecting streets. The embankment cut through most of Jamaica Plain from north to south. In time,
7998-711: The year. Franklin Park is home to the Massachusetts All-States Meet as well as the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship every other year (alternating with Van Cortlandt Park in New York City). The park includes courses for 3000 meters, 5000 meters, 6000 meters, 8000 meters and 10000 meters. Franklin Park also won the honor of hosting the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1992, as a special 12.5 kilometer course
8091-517: Was Haffenreffer, which continued until 1964. The old building now houses a number of commercial establishments, including the Boston Beer Company , brewers of Samuel Adams beer, as well as the nonprofit Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation. A late survivor was Croft Ale, brewed in the Highland Spring Brewery building until 1953, when it became the Rosoff Pickle factory, where
8184-401: Was built, creating a parkway, bike path, and site for future Wake Up The Earth festivals in lieu of the highway, now situated atop the underground Orange Line . By 1970, central Jamaica Plain was considered to be in a state of decline. The construction of the proposed highway coupled with and possibly contributing to a decision by Boston banks to cut back mortgage lending (redline) there began
8277-537: Was formed in 2003 under Governor Mitt Romney , when the former Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) and Department of Environmental Management (DEM) were merged to form the DCR. The DCR is under the general management of the Commissioner of the DCR. The general administration divisions; Human Resources Division, the Financial Division, and External and Legislative Affairs, report directly to the Commissioner. DCR
8370-477: Was officially closed in 1954. It was later lopped off of the zoo property permanently in 1958, when the Metropolitan District Commission took over management of the zoo. Efforts have been made since 1980 to make Long Crouch Woods into a nature preserve with a snack bar and theatre facility; however, plans have continued to stall. After neighbor complaints it was not well maintained or cleaned by
8463-475: Was renamed in honor of Boston-born patriot Benjamin Franklin , who documented in his will that he wished for a portion of his estate to be given to a worthy cause. The park brings together rural scenery, a woodland preserve, and areas for active recreation and sports. Franklin Park also has six miles (9.7 km) of roads and fifteen miles (24 km) of pedestrian and bridle paths to explore. Much of Franklin Park
8556-498: Was the only church in Jamaica Plain for seventy years and during that time became one of the original Unitarian churches and continues on the same site now known as the First Church in Jamaica Plain. The original white clapboard building was replaced by the stone Romanesque Revival building in 1854 designed by the architect Nathaniel Bradlee. (Pictured above.) The Minutemen from the Third Parish fought at Lexington and Bunker Hill under
8649-488: Was used for competition. Each course includes variants of 3 major loops, the stadium loop, the Bear Cage hill loop, and the wilderness loop. The stadium loop simply goes around the back of White Stadium , while the Bear Cage loop climbs the fairly significant Bear Cage Hill. The wilderness loop crosses into the wooded area of the park and follows a twisting path through the trees. There are many concerns regarding continued use of
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