History
This linear system of parks and parkways was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to connect the Boston Common (dating from the colonial period) and Public Garden (1837) to the great country estate known as Franklin Park.
The project began around 1878 with the effort to clean up and control the marshy area which became the Back Bay and the Fens. In 1880, Olmsted proposed that the Muddy River, which flowed from Jamaica Pond into the Fens, be included in the park plan. The current was dredged into a winding stream and directed into the Charles River. The corridor encompassing the river became a linear park. Olmsted's vision of a linear park of walking paths along a gentle stream connecting numerous small lakes was complete by the turn of the century.
Shape
As implied by the name "Emerald Necklace," these parks do not proceed in a straight line but rather form a sort of "L" shape. The Emerald Necklace begins near Boston's Downtown Crossing, proceeds along the Boston/Brookline border, then curves back into Jamaica Plain. At the south border of Arnold Arboretum, at the point most distant from its beginning, the Emerald Necklace is in Roslindale.
Olmsted's original plan called for a "U" shaped necklace which terminated at Boston Harbor. This final link, The Dorchesterway, was never realized.
Jurisdiction
- Arnold Arboretum is leased to and managed by Harvard University.
- The west banks of Olmsted Park and the Riverway are under the jurisdiction of Brookline.
- The rest of the Emerald Necklace is maintained by the City of Boston and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Recent improvement
Over the past decade, almost $60 million in capital expenditures for parks and waterway improvements have been made in the Emerald Necklace by the City of Boston and the Town of Brookline. These efforts have included improved pathways, plantings and signage, bridge repairs, and the restoration of boardwalks and buildings. In some areas (especially Franklin Park) these efforts have only begun to address the over 50 years of neglect the Emerald Necklace has suffered.
Future plans
The Emerald Necklace Parks Master Plan was completed in 1989, and updated in 2001.
The parks have long been subject to flooding from the Muddy River. The Muddy River Restoration Project will dredge contaminated sediments and implement other major structural improvements, unburying the river and improving its integrity, appearance, and flood control capabilities.
The Conservancy
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy was established in 1996 to support and build upon public sector initiatives. A not-for-profit organization, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a public-private partnership composed of community, business government and institutional representatives, residential neighbors, representatives of Necklace-related associations and interested citizens.
