PARK AND CEMETERY. 
13 
GROUPING PLAN OP PUBLIC AND SEMI-PUBLIC BUILDINGS ABOUT CENTRAL PARK, NORTHAMPTON, MASS. 
City Unitarian Clarke Central The High 
Hall. Church. Library. Park. Academy. School. 
THESE BUILDINGS ARE PRACTICALITY COMPItETE AS SHOWN WITH THE EXCEPTION OP 'I’HE CI'l'Y H.\LL. 
STUDIES IN CIVIC BEAUTY— NORTHAMPTON, MASS. 
First impressions are most generally 
lasting, whether applied to an individual 
or a place. Only occasionally do peo- 
ple have an opportunity to know many 
places well; only a few care to know 
many thus, being satisfied with a mere- 
h’ superficial acquaintance, as is the 
custom of most travelers. In 
a business or professional ca- 
pacity or as a mere traveler, 
one may visit a city or town 
many times and never gain 
the least insight into the soul 
of the place or concerning the 
men and women whose work 
has given it that indefinable 
and often intangible some- 
thing which distinguishes it 
from other places. And when 
one is interested in observing 
the essential character of a 
place, he too generally fails to 
attribute what he sees to any 
particular force,' either to the 
activities of the citizens in 
their tout ensemble, or to the 
work of the few. To know 
a place and be able to meas- 
ure its possibilities, all these 
things must be understood. 
The subject of our brief 
study is most peculiar in this 
respect. The best results are 
usually obtained from a gen- 
eral community activity. Here, 
however, a major portion 
seems to hinge around the 
long continued work of two men. 
Without in any way disparaging the 
work of others and at the risk of de- 
parting from the traditional, inclu- 
sive method, I desire to show some- 
By Edward T. Hartman, Secre- 
tary Massachusetts Civic League 
thing of what Northampton is and how 
much of this is due to two men. It 
would have been successful as a busi- 
ness and educational center, a city of 
homes, without them, but its essential 
spirit centers in an unusual degree 
around their many sided activities. 
First came Christopher Clarke. He 
came early and promises to depart not 
till the honors of the occasion have 
been done. Christopher Clarke has 
aroused the passing smile, he has even 
been scoffed at, but when it was pro- 
posed that the citizens should join in 
celebrating his eightieth birthday the 
“scurrile jester” could not but 
admit his wrong and anxiously 
seek an opportunity to give 
honor wTiere honor was due. 
The largest place in the city 
was called into use for the oc- 
casion, two hundred and fifty 
citizens paid their respects 
(and for their dinner in order 
to do it) and many were 
turned away. 
Christopher Clarke has voted 
in fifteen presidential elections ; 
he was for forty years a mem- 
ber of a local church choir, its 
leader for twenty-five years ; 
he has for over a quarter of 
a century been honorary city 
forester, and to this last fact 
Northampton owes much. The 
city is in no sense more strik- 
ing to the casual visitor than 
from the appearance of its 
twenty miles of street trees. 
They have been watched, 
cleaned, trimmed and filled — 
yes filled — for many a ton of 
cement has Mr. Clarke used to 
strengthen and preserve the 
notable and beautiful trees in 
Northainjiton and in other Connecticut 
Valley cities and towns. He saw the 
beginnings of the village improvement 
era and has been an essential part of 
it ever since. Mr. Clarke’s specific 
■WELL-PRESERVED ELM, ELM ST., NORTHAMPTON 
Stands in a wide lawn space between Sidewalk and Gutter 
