Improvements to Back Bay Fens Westland Avenue Gateway
Park Established 1877
Improvements to park entrance including Johnson Memorial Gates monument conservation, accessibility upgrades, and landscape rehabilitation.
Please note: renovations to pathways and entrances at the Westland Avenue Gates will begin the week of May 6, 2019. View a graphic of proposed additions.
Westland Avenue Gateway is an entrance to the Back Bay Fens of the Olmsted designed Emerald Necklace. The Gateway is at the intersection of Westland Avenue and Hemenway Street. The anticipated area of study includes the between Hemenway Street and Fenway, and approximately 250 feet on either side of the intersection with Westland Avenue in the north/south direction, exclusive of the adjacent buildings.
Scope of the design work
The scope of the design work includes:
- the conservation of the Johnson Gates
- associated walls, stone work, and horse troughs on Hemenway Street
- the historic study and possible re-alignment of the pathway systems in the study area, with particular focus on accessibility
- fencing repair or replacement, and
- evaluation and restoration of the lawn areas and trees within the defined scope of work.
Although the Johnson Gates are not in the period of primary significance for the Emerald Necklace, the monuments are historically significant.
Community meetings archive
We place information on upcoming and previous meetings in the public notices section of Boston.gov. We'll update this page with meeting information as it becomes available.
- Back Bay Fens Westland Avenue Gateway Community Meeting #1 (March 20, 2017)
- Back Bay Fens Westland Avenue Gateway Community Meeting #2 (April 24, 2017)
- Back Bay Fens Westland Avenue Gateway Community Meeting #3 (June 26, 2017)