Bessie Barnes Park Memorial Park

South End/Lower Roxbury Open Space Land Trust

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Bessie Barnes Memorial Park was created from the site of four brick row houses by neighbors adopting and caring for the site. Acquired by the Land Trust as open space. the current project involved working with neighbors to create a park to enliven and enhance their neighborhood.

The park includes benches, picnic tables, an arbor/swing, garden shed, climbing rocks for kids, and extensive plantings. The site is enclosed in a decorative metal fence. Improvements were funded by the City of Boston Grassroots Program.

Planning and design was accomplished though an intensive neighborhood workshop process which included review and analysis of other neighborhood parks and greens and a variety of materials and possible activities. This process built strong support for the park and an active community base to help care for it.