14 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
Development of Masconomo Park, Manchester. 
Commissioners Have Had Plans Prepared by Olmsted Bros. Two Schemes—One Being to Enlarge 
the Area of Park, the Other to Accept the Present Natural Boundaries of the Park. 
At the last annual Town Meet- 
ing the Board of Park Commis- 
sioners of Manchester, was in- 
structed to have prepared, and to 
present to the town, a set of plans 
along the line of some definite 
scheme of precedure for the de- 
veloping of the Masconomo Park. 
Early in the summer the board 
chitects of Brookline, to look over 
the ground with a view to prepar- 
ing a set of plans if their recom- 
mendations were favorably met by 
the board. In this issue we are 
printing two of the plans, to- 
gether with the text of the two 
letters sent to the board in which 
the recommendations of the archi- 
tects are given. 
These two letters are printed in 
full so that the citizens may see 
along what lines the board’ are 
prepared to make recommenda- 
tions at the coming March meet- 
ing. 
llth August, 1910. 
Mr. J. S. Reed, Chairman, 
Board of Park Commissioners, 
Manchester, Mass. 
Dear Sir: We beg to submit the fol- 
lowing report of our examination of 
Masconomo Park, together with such 
recommendations for its further devel- 
opment as our study of the problem 
thus. far enables us to do. 
Werfind the park comprises some 6.5 
acres of what was originally marsh 
land jutting into the harbor, having a 
circumferential measurement of about 
2800 feet, of which about 900 feet abuts 
upon Beach street, about 450 feet fronts 
upon the harbor and the balance of 
about 1450 feet upon a tidal estuary 
that skirts the land on the south. At 
one time we understand this estuary 
was physically separated from the har- 
bor by an earth dam, remnants of which 
It is not clear, we believe, 
what the property limits of the park 
may be along its water side, but we 
its 
boundaries follow the center of the two 
it on the south 
We believe there is some 
question in your mind concerning the 
ownership of the rights that may still 
exist in the old dam and weir on ac- 
count of the discovery of a stone monu- 
ment at the extreme southerly end of 
This question should 
be investigated and the true limits of 
the park determined before any further 
planning for the development of the 
still exist. 
were given to understand that 
channels that flank 
and west. 
the earth dam. 
park is undertaken. 
In accordance with a plan prepared 
by Mr. J. H. Curtis, dated August 1905, 
| . 
engaged the well known firm of ! 
Olmsted Brothers, landscape: ar- |. 
(2 AT bee Wena 
Sketch of Park as it is now, with proposed improvments. 
something less than half of the area 
has been raised to the general level of 
Beach street, and a sea-wall has been 
constructed along the 
the park from Beach street for a dis- 
tance of about 325 feet. At the end of 
the wall a public boat-landing has been 
established, and to it a driveway has 
been built substantially along the lines 
of the plan. Except where the sea-wall 
has been built the filling has not been 
carried far enough to test the idea 
shown on Mr. Curtis’s plan for a rip- 
rap shore which is intended to support 
the filling and protect it against the 
action of the waves. 
It is our understanding that your 
Commission is now doubtful of the wis- 
dom of proceeding further along the 
lines of Mr. Curtis’s plan, partly be- 
cause itis not clear to you what the 
resulting effect of the work will be and 
partly because there is a desire to fill 
out to the very limits of the park, thus 
creating as large an area of solid 
ground as possible. 
Restore the Old Dam. ; 
Another suggestion which your Com- 
mission has under consideration is that 
of restoring the old dam and of hold- 
ing back the water of the estuary so 
that its mud bottom may not become 
visible during low tides. Furthermore, 
we understand that the general arrange- 
ment of the planting has been found 
impracticable of execution largely be- 
harbor side of: 
cause of the nature of the soil. It 
should of course be stated that Mr. 
Curtis’s plan which you loaned us is 
quite general in character and does 
not show the relation of the proposed 
level of the park to that of Beach street, 
to the old level of the marsh and the 
varying elevations of the tides. We 
question the advisability of so many 
walks as have been proposed and cer- 
tainly we should like to see large units 
ort turf unbroken by paths of planta- 
tions, The location of the boat-landing 
is, of course, fixed by the channel 
to it and this feature, in relation to the 
sea-wall, seems to us good, but we do 
not like the location of the driveway 
to the landing because it monopolizes 
too much of the area of the park, and 
we see no point in starting it opposite 
Tappan street. We believe it should be 
located alongside of a walk that would 
follow along the top of the sea-wall 
from Beach street. 
Let us consider the more fundamen- 
tal matters concerning the development 
of the park; that is the treatment of 
the shore line, the extent to which the 
park should be filled and the relation 
that this filling should bear to Beach 
street on one side and the water of the 
harbor on the other. There is no doubt 
of the economy and probable practica- 
bility of carrying out the idea of restor- 
ing the old dam and maintaining an 
expanse of water to the south of the 
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urthermore, to re- 
rely to cover the 
ts, we believe, of 
, as it constitutes 
of the area which 
le harbor itself. 
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ed by the channels 
waters, we doubt 
ding the filling to 
marsh area on the 
arbor down to Mr. 
were raised at the 
se it would be nec- 
a vertical retain- 
regular line which 
fortunate. Accord- 
hat if a retaining 
m other considera- 
sary that the boun- 
hould be straight- 
the conditions as 
extend the filling 
Muck as possible of 
fithin the limits of 
would advise fol- 
dge of the marsh, 
border of its mar- 
is adapted to the 
fooded by salt wa- 
is carried outward 
ould drop slightly 
lly terminate in a 
would be largely 
ate seaside bushes 
the narrow marsh 
would form an 
Mate fringe of the 
He present seawall 
should be kept unless upon further in- 
vestigation it is found to be unstable. 
Ot course the wall is essential so long 
as the small parcel of private land 
exists next to the park on Beach 
street. If this land were taken 
by your Commission the  treat- 
ment of this side of the park might be 
treated otherwise than with a retaining 
wall, although we are inclined to think 
the wall the best treatment. We do 
not think there is sufficient space re- 
maining outside the limits of the marsh 
to make it worth while to extend the 
area of the park to its present bound- 
aries, which alone would warrant the 
adoption of a rip-rap construction to 
secure the edge. Such a treatment of 
the edge is rough and out of keeping 
and would not be at all useable by the 
people, but on the other hand dangerous 
for children and careless persons to 
climb about on. The wash of the water 
is not sufficient we believe to call for 
this treatment of the edge. The real 
problem as we see it is to obviate the 
objectionable mud flats and this can 
best be done we believe by dredging. 
Manchester Harbor Should be Reclaim- 
ed by Dredging. 
There is still a more comprehensive 
solution of the problem, which appeals 
to us because it will provide an oppor- 
tunity to improve and develop the har- 
bor itself and would increase the area 
of the park land. This plan is best set 
forth in the accompanying sketch. We 
believe we are within reason when we 
assume that Manchester Harbor ought 
to be reclaimed by dredging, although 
it may cost a good deal and require 
many years for its accomplishment. Ex- 
cept for this one drawback the harbor 
is especially good and if improved 
would become more and more used, 
if not for the commercial purpose at 
least for pleasure boating, which the 
town, we believe, would do well to 
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AIASCONOLIO = PARK 
AIAN CHESTER AASS, 
» according to Enlargement Plan, 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
15 
encourage, particularly in view of the 
increasing use of the motor-boat. 
It will be seen by our sketch map we 
propose that the town should secure all 
the marsh land abutting upon Beach 
street and the high land of the Smith 
estate out to a line drawn approximate- 
ly parallel to Beach street and passing 
through the southerly extremity of the 
park where the old dam exists. Within 
this area we would raise the land to the 
general level of Beach street, but would 
slope the filling from the street toward 
the harbor. ‘l'he manner of treating the 
edge of this area against the water of 
the harbor needs further study, but if 
practicable we should prefer not to 
make use of a sea wall, but rather a 
shore line as low as the tides would per- 
mit. The filling for this operation would 
be obtained by dredging the bottom of 
the harbor and estuary or basin back 
of the old dam as well as the material 
in the dam itself. Thus a broad ex- 
panse of water would be secured which 
would add materially to the breadth of 
the harbor and increase the avail- 
ability by water approach of the solid 
of the Smith estate for which improve- 
ment the ‘’own should receive at least 
free of cost all marsh land necessary 
for the completion of the scheme own- 
ed by the Smith estate or others that 
may be benefited. In other words, we 
believe it would be feasible through 
the co-operation of the Town and such 
private owners directly concerned, to 
unite upon a scheme that would prove 
of mutual advantage. 
Enlarge Area of Park. 
The present area of Masconomo Park 
is not large eno gh, we believe, for the 
purposes it may serve and accordingly 
would recommend particularly the en- 
largement or its width from Beach 
street to the water. In a general way 
the westerly boundary of the park 
should be parallel to Beach street 
and have a breadth of 450 feet, 
If possible the park frontage should be 
extended in a southerly direction to 
include all the marsh land existing 
there. 
As to the general treatment of the 
park, we believe that there should be 
adequate provision made for all such 
forms of out-of-door recreation as may 
be needed from time to time by the 
people, such, for instance, as a single 
reserved area at least 400 feet square 
for baseball games. There should be 
a walk inside the park following along 
the side of Beach street and also a 
promenade following the water edge of 
the park. These are the primary lines 
of walks; there would be others of a 
secondary importance, but these, we 
believe, would be limited in number 
so that as much of the area of the park 
may be left unbroken and the views 
across it uninterrupted. After all the 
park affords a point of vantage from 
which the harbor views may be enjoyed 
and its design should be drawn accord- 
ing to this idea. Since the harbor it- 
self is the striking feature of the place 
we would recommend securing the shore 
line at the foot of the embankment of 
the railroad from Beach street to the 
railroad bridge over the Channel to the 
upper harbor. We believe it would be 
feasible at least to secure sufficient 
rights to enable the Commission to 
plant a row of trees at the foot of the 
embankment to partially mask it from 
view for now it is decidedly the most 
ugly feature of the harbor. 
In order to satisfactorily advise your . 
Commission as to the development of 
Masconomo Park in accordance with 
the suggestions above outlined, it is 
necessary that a map be prepared of 
the upper part of the harbor in the 
neighborhood of the park, showing all 
controlling elevations of the land, 
streets, retaining walls, drain outlets 
and culverts, also the elevations of the 
mean high and low tides and the flow 
line of the highest known tide. The 
map should show the varying properties 
included within the limits of our ac- 
companying sketch so that the subject 
may be studied in a broad way. We 
should like to be informed what legal 
rights the Commission may possess: in 
the land at present and what other 
legal ownerships there may be in any 
water-rights such as those we under- 
stand existed in the old dam. 
Our charge for the preparation of 
preliminary, detailed grading and plant- 
ing j;lans will be $300.00, plus ex- 
penses of draughting and other labor in 
the study and preparation of them, in 
accordance with our printed circular, a 
copy of which we enclose herewith. 
Yours very truly, 
OLMSTED BROTHERS. 
24th October, 1910. 
Mr. J. S. Reed, Chairman, 
Board of Park Commissioners, 
Manchester, Mass. 
Dear Sir:— 
We are sending you today under 
separate cover ovr preliminary plan for 
Masconomo Park and sections and pro- 
file of drive. 
In our letter to you of August 11th, 
1910, we set fourth two schemes for the 
treatment of the park:—one being to 
enlarge the area of the park very con- 
siderably by dredging the mud flats 
and filling out the present boundaries 
of the park to include the area south of 
the present boundary, which at present 
is marsh land and Day’s Creek; the 
other scheme being to accept the pre- 
sent natural boundaries of the park 
and to design the park within these 
limits. The plan we submit to you now 
is in accordance with the second 
scheme. 
On pages 5, 6 and 7 of our letter to 
you of August 11, 1910, we have set 
forth the main considerations: affecting 
this scheme of developing the park ac- 
cording to its present limits. We have 
accepted the present sea-wall extend- 
ing from Beach street to the wharf 
without any change. From this wharf, 
extending around the end of the park to 
a point on the south side, we have shown 
a revetment which will carry an iron 
railing on top to protect the walk 
which will be on the top of the re- 
vetment. We think it would be better 
to build this revetment with a con- 
cave face to the waves rather than 
with a vertical face, provided a firm 
foundation can be established at the 
toe of the revetment. Such a concave 
face will throw back the waves and 
will thus protect the walk, trees and 
turf better than a vertical face will. 
We have provided one drive which 
enters from Beach street at the north- 
ern corner of the park, which is the 
logical point where carriages would 
turn in, This drive goes past the 
. 
