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| Charles Eliot: the dude who we are talking about. |
Growing up, Charles Eliot was somewhat of an awkward kid. He was born to a family of great social reputation
and wealth, (his father was the President of Harvard), but he himself was considered
shy and fragile, more eager to sketch landscapes in his notebook than socialize
with friends. Worried for his son’s “melancholy
withdrawals,” his father pressured Charles to gain strength of character through
“strenuous life” activities, such as camping and sailing along the coast of New
England. Eliot soon organized and led
a small band of Harvard peers that called themselves - in endearingly nerdy
fashion - the “Champlain Society in scientific exploration of Mount Desert
Island in Maine.” Such experiences and
his lifelong appreciation for nature’s beauty encouraged him to pursue a career
in landscape architecture.
As a landscape architect, Eliot outlined three basic goals:
to preserve scenery, make it accessible, and improve upon it. He lobbied ceaselessly for the preservation
of nature against commercial interests. Eliot, whose birthright connected him to a circle of
wealth and influence, was able to convince political industries to move
industry back from the Lower Charles River.
He directed the early development of the Boston Metropolitan Park System,
and published conceptual plans for the esplanades along the Charles River. Thanks to his efforts, by 1900, streets and railroads had been
relocated and the promenade had been built.
Eliot died at the shockingly young age of 37, but his ideas and passion for preservation paved the way for a protection of the land surrounding the Charles River and the
park as we know it. So now, I will think
of him every time I see that stone memorial on the Esplanade. Or better yet – when I take a fresh breath from the city, walk besides the Charles, and appreciate all that is still, thankfully, miraculously preserved :).
Pam
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