Established in 1890

When you walk along the Muddy River, it is easy to mistake it for a natural remnant of the New England landscape. It isn't. It is wholly man-made. Or should we say, Olmsted-made. 

Established in 1879

As quickly as the Back Bay developed, another problem festered. A mill company's dam's basin became an increasingly noxious open sewer, particularly at low tide. Even then, pollution was a problem, and Bostonians demanded a solution. 

Enter Frederick Law Olmsted. He proposed to flush out the stagnant waterway and add naturalistic plantings to emulate the original tide marsh ecology of the Fenway area. His plan was true to both the character of the land and the needs of the growing population.