Blackstone Boulevard Park is a public park and footpath that runs down the center of Blackstone Boulevard on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It is located in the Blackstone neighborhood, an affluent and primarily residential part of Providence.[1] The park is well-used by joggers and dog walkers from the East Side of Providence and surrounding areas. Along with the Blackstone Park Conservation District, it is run in partnership between the non-profit Blackstone Parks Conservancy and the Providence Parks Department.[2][3] The Conservancy actively maintains the condition of the park and path, as well as planting and caring for the trees and other flora along the path.[3][4] Blackstone Boulevard is also a part of the National Register of Historic Places, at the boundary of the Blackstone Park Historic District and Blackstone Boulevard Realty Plat Historic District.
| Blackstone Boulevard Park | |
|---|---|
 Blackstone Boulevard trail | |
 | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Coordinates | 41°50′15″N 71°23′06″W / 41.83750°N 71.38500°W |
| Area | 45 acres (18 ha) |
| Created | 2003 |
| Operated by | Blackstone Parks Conservancy |
History and construction of the Boulevard
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The City of Providence General Assembly bought the land for construction of the Blackstone Boulevard in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[5] The City authorized a loan of $150,000 to purchase the final parcel of land for Blackstone Boulevard, and to complete both the Boulevard and Roger Williams Park, in 1901.[6]
Blackstone Boulevard Parkway in its later form was designed with the renowned firm of the landscape architect Fredrick Law Olmsted. The landscape architectural plans made by the Olmsted firm date to 1903-04.[7]
Notable places and residents
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Several important Providence institutions are located on Blackstone Boulevard, including Swan Point Cemetery and the historic Butler Hospital. Blackstone Boulevard is also lined by many 19th and 20th century mansions. A number of noted residents of Providence have lived on Blackstone Boulevard, among them former mayor of Providence Buddy Cianci.[8]
At some point "towards the end of the 20th century," the bronze sculpture "A Memorial to Young Womanhood (or The Spirit of Youth)," was moved from Constance Witherby Park to the Blackstone Boulevard median at Clarendon Avenue.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Deller, Thomas E. (2009). Providence Tomorrow: Mt. Hope, Hope, and Blackstone Neighborhood Plan (PDF). Providence Department of Planning and Development. pp. 9–10. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "Neighborhood Parks". City of Providence Parks Department. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Blackstone Parks Conservancy". Blackstone Parks Conservancy. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ Will Morgan. "Blackstone Park: Our Great Green Asset – Architecture Critic Morgan". Go Local Prov. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- ^ Providence (R.I.) Office of City Controller (1892). Financial Report of the City of Providence, Rhode Island.
- ^ Charter and Special Laws Governing the City of Providence, Chapter 875, Sect 1. Providence Printing Company. 1916. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
- ^ The Master List of Design Projects of the Olmsted Firm, 1857-1979. National Association for Olmsted Parks. 2008.
- ^ Mike Stanton (2004). The Prince of Providence. Random House.
- ^ "The Parks / Statue". Blackstone Parks Conservancy. Providence, Rhode Island. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2024.