A Brief History of the Fenway Cultural District
Discover one of Boston's most lively and distinguished neighborhoods, rich in history and culture.
As
the twentieth century dawned, giants walked the streets of Boston. Patrons stepped
forward to support art and culture, creating magnificent institutions devoted
to music, art, and theatre. Symphony Hall came in 1900, Horticultural Hall in
1901, and soon the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in January 1903. Arts patron
Eban Jordan stepped forward to build New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall (October
1903), widely recognized as one of the finest concert halls in the world. Extraordinary
collections would come to be housed nearby in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
(1909). Arts and culture have continued to grow in this area throughout the 20th
century. In 1945, Berklee College of Music opened to become the world's largest
independent music college and the premier institution for the study of contemporary
music. Berklee was the first college in America to offer the guitar as a principal
instrument.
Intellectual life in the Fenway was fostered at the turn of the century through
the opening of schools and colleges. Simmons College (1899) opened as
the first four-year college in the nation to provide both liberal arts
and career preparation for women. Emmanuel College (1919) stands historically
as the first Catholic College for women in the country, and has since
become a prestigious coeducational liberal arts college. Massachusetts
College of Art (1873) was the first public college of art in the nation,
and remains the largest state school devoted to art education in the nation.
Boston Latin High School (1635) was the nation's first public school.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (1823) is the oldest
college in Boston, while Northeastern University(1898), located in the
heart of the district, is a leader in cooperative education. The District
is also home to Harvard School of Public Health, Forsyth Institute (1910),
Wentworth Institute of Technology(1904), and Wheelock College (1888),
founded by Lucy Wheelock, a pioneer in the American kindergarten movement.
Gardens, sports, and recreation have also been an important part of the
growth of the Fenway. The magnificent park system envisioned by Frederick
Law Olmsted was completed in 1895 and totalled some 200 acres of parkland
within the City of Boston. Affectionately known as the Emerald Necklace,
this park offers relief from the pollution, noise, and overcrowding of
city life, the Back Bay Fens section of this Olmstead's park system are
what give the Fenway it's name. Transformed from a salt- to a fresh-water
marsh after 1910 with the creation of the Charles River Dam, the Back
Bay Fens encompasses a variety of features; the elegant Rose Garden, War
Memorials, and the community "Victory Garden". To build health
of spirit, mind and body the first YMCA in the U.S. was opened in Boston
in 1851. The Central Branch of the YMCA of Greater Boston opened on Huntington
Avenue in 1912, the same year as Fenway Park, the beloved home to the
Boston Red Sox, opened to excited sports fans anxious to see a game in
their ball park. In
The Fenway Alliance became partners with the City of Boston in developing
a vibrant, exciting Cultural District. Proclaimed by the Mayor of Boston,
Thomas Menino, in February, 1999, the Fenway Cultural District is rich
in cultural assets that make it a premier destination in New England.
In January, 2000, The Fenway Alliance was awarded a grant by the Commonwealth's
Office of Travel and Tourism to develop this web site for the Fenway Cultural
District. We hope that you will find everything that you are looking for
(and more!) in the FCD through this site. If you have any difficulty,
comments, or questions, please send inquiries to
info@fenwayculture.org.
To keep informed of what is new in the District, sign up for Fenway
Cultural District eNews, a monthly
eNewsletter designed to keep you informed of the exciting arts, cultural,
and academic events going on in the Fenway Cultural District. Fenway Cultural
District eNews is produced by The Fenway Alliance. We hope that you will
enjoy this publication!
To subscribe to our FREE monthly eNewsletter just enter your email below. (We will not share your e-mail with any other parties.)