Boston Common

Common Ground

Description

You could call Boston Common the great granddaddy of all city parks. Originally created in 1634, Boston Common has been a mainstay in the Boston community for centuries providing an escape right in the heart of the city. Cows used to frequent the park in the early days before they were removed for overgrazing. During the Revolutionary War, Boston Common was used as a camp for British soldiers, and was the site they left from on their way to the first battles of the war at Lexington and Concord. Boston Common was the beginning link in the chain of parks within the "Emerald Necklace," a seven-mile string of Frederick Law Olmsted inspired parks stretching from Boston to Brookline. A popular feature of the Common (not to be mistaken for the incorrectly used Commons), is Frog Pond, which turns into a wonderful skating pond by winter. On the Common is the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Street as well as numerous plaques and monuments dedicated to honored individuals within this historic park.