Some history of the Olmsted Parks System -
In 1868, Buffalo had some parcels of land set aside for a city improvement project, and contacted Olmsted for some recommendations. Olmsted returned a fully treatise with his recommendations for the parks system in Buffalo and, as a result, was brought on with his partner Calvert Vaux as the primary designer for the parks system that would cause Buffalo to be known as the City of Trees.
His vision for the Buffalo parks was to have people removed from the hustle and bustle of city life - to escape from their troubles, and to be transported to the pastoral fields of England and France. His first design was called "The Park", which is now known as Delware Park. This was an expansive project that took parcels of farmland and turned them into a country estate. The large size of the land would ensure that even as the urban areas nearby were developed, people could still remove themselves from the noise and pollution of city living. The plans for this park were submitted in 1970, and the park was mostly completed by 1876. At this time, it did not include many of the "sports" amenities that it includes now, but was more of a combination of wide, sloping lawns (suitable for lawn bowling and croquet), promenades, and waterways.
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| Boats leisurely paddling on Hoyt Lake - source |
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| Sheep grazing on the lawn in Delaware Park - source |
This park was meant to be the main park in Buffalo, and was the first that was designed - however, when it was first designed it was quite a distance from the city itself, and public transportation did not run that far out. To remedy this, Olmsted worked his way into the city with a series of smaller parks that those without the means to get to The Park could still easily access and enjoy.
Olmsted's series of parks stretched, somewhat connected, throughout the city of Buffalo. Although three parks are now gone (Bennett Park - now park of the JFK rec area, Masten Place - demolished to build a high school, and The Terrace - no information found), 7 major parks remain - Cazenovia Park, Day's Park, Delaware Park, Front Park, Humboldt/MLK Jr. Park, Riverside Park, and South Park. Connecting these major parks were a series of Parkways and "Circles" that Olmsted also designed - part of his vision was that the roadways leading up to the parks would be as beautiful and secluded as the parks themselves.
"Thus, at no great distance from any point of the town, a pleasure ground will have been provided for, suitable for a short stroll, for a playground for children and an airing ground for invalids, and a route of access to the large common park of the whole city of such a character that most of the steps on the way to it would be taken in the midst of a scene of sylvan beauty, and with the sounds and sites of the ordinary town business, if not wholly shut out, removed to some distance and placed in obscurity. The way itself would thus be more park-like than town-like."
- Olmsted's Report on the Buffalo Parks proposal, 1868
By the 1950's and 1960's, however, urban development was taking its toll on the beautiful parks. Many of the original buildings in the parks were being demolished. The city no longer prided itself in the "closed off" parkways leading up to the parks, being more concerned with moving people quickly from point-a to point-b. Humboldt Parkway that linked Delaware and MLK Parks was destroyed to create the 33. The Scajaquada was a travesty that was built right through the center of Olmsted's pride, Delaware Park. These two roadways, while they served to quickly move traffic, bisected Delaware Park between the meadows and Hoyt Lake, and divided the Olmsted Parks system - from these garish scars it has never quite recovered (although there is talk now of redirecting traffic and restoring a single Delaware Park, that would be many years in the future, if it is done at all).
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| Construction on the Kensington Expressway in 1963 - source |
Finally, in the 1980's and 90's, Buffalo's residents and government came to their senses and realized what had happened to these beautiful green-spaces. By 2004 the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (a not-for-profit, volunteer organization) had formed with the aim to restore the parks system, and with a multi-year restoration plan ready to be implemented. Hundreds of dedicated volunteers now tend the parks and take care of the turf, dispose of litter, remove graffiti, and plant trees, shrubs, and flowers.
With more than 1 million annual visitors to the parks, they have been updated to include more modern amenities to serve the community. Delaware Park, for instance, now has an 18-hole golf course, 3 baseball diamonds, 6 soccer fields, 17 tennis courts, 4 basketball courts, and 3 playgrounds. In addition to that, many people avail themselves of the 1.76mi trail around the "meadows" area of the park which can be run, walked, skated, or biked.
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| An "adult playground" fitness training facility |
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| Some of the tennis courts |
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| One of the zoo's bison - visible from the park loop |
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| The rather-deceptive hill on the Scajaquada side of the park - much harder to climb than it looks, especially on skates! |
This beautiful park system is definitely something that Buffalo's residents should not be afraid to avail themselves of this summer. Bring your kids and hit the sprinklers, grab your tennis racket and head to the court, throw on your running shoes and hit the trails, grab your best fur buddy and head out for a walk, or join a team and hit the courts or a ball diamond. Just get out there and appreciate the beautiful vision that Olmsted had for our city.
So now that you know the history of the parks, get out there and get moving!
Lazy citations - (APA purists and academic friends, please don't yell at me!)
Olmsted Conservency info from https://www.bfloparks.org
Information from Buffalo NY parks system Wikipedia
PBS's report
on the Olmsted Park System
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