- This is one of many Olmsted designs in Holyoke. Read about the rest at this LINK.
- Parks of Holyoke
- Private GROUP TOUR (COSTS) is two hours long for this Elmwood Park and Neighborhood walking tour. Also a one hour indoor presentation can be given.
- A free public tour comes up every five years.
- A self-tour is available for anyone using the maps and text seen below. – LOCATION
- A booklet is available for this tour in either B & W or color, go HERE for the information needed to buy it.
Elmwood Park of Holyoke is called the park that disappeared. Still if one looks they will see its remnants everywhere. Its land was purchased by the city over decades to make a unified park and then soon afterward it started to be divided up again.
- Park at the Fitzpatrick’s Ice Rink
| stop | name | notes | LINK |
| 1 | Fitzpatrick’s Ice Rink | recreation | LINK |
| 2 | Ross Street and the Dingle | street | LINK |
| 3 | Sheard Park | park | LINK |
| 4 | Churchill | neighborhood | LINK |
| 5 | Roberts Sports Field | recreation | LINK |
| 6 | John Young Field | recreation | LINK |
| 7 | Oakdale | neighborhood | LINK |
| 8 | MacKenzie Field | recreation | LINK |
| 9 | Holyoke High School | school | LINK |
| 10 | Holyoke Medical Center | hospital | LINK |
| 11 | Yankee Peddlar | house | LINK |
| 12 | Crosier Field | recreation | LINK |
| 13 | Carlton Street School | school | LINK |
| 14 | Peck School | school | LINK |
| 15 | Elmwood | neighborhood | LINK |
| 16 | Parkview Street | street | LINK |
The first mention that I can find of Elmwood Park in the annual city registers is that of the year 1899. In that year, the edge of the park along Jackson Street was graded, a walk built, and a tree belt seeded. Before that from 1895 to 1899, it is called Dingle Park in the city annual register. They are both fine names – there were 5 dingles in Elmwood Park at its height but only one in its infancy. The 1894 Richards map also has the park but without a name. This is the earliest ever reference to the park. The Holyoke TT references the park in 1895 and then onward more often.
In 1901, 100 trees, 500 shrubs, and new flower beds were added to the park. A new rustic bridge was added across the ravine. The Maple Street entrance was graded more. New walks and new settees were added.
From 1901 to 1909 design plans were drawn up for the park by the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline. These PLANS were extensive. The first image at the link is the 1902 look of the park before the design and any work was done.
In 1935, Elmwood Park received a beautification effort. The Beech Street Park portion of Elmwood Park got lily ponds, a rustic bridge, a stone lookout, steps, and a wall.
Hurricane Diane of 1955 caused major damage to Elmwood Park. The entire Dingle Drive was washed out and MacKenzie Field was entirely gone.
Humans need structures, but they also need ample open spaces close by. Is it enough to only value and preserve lands that are far away from inner neighborhoods? It appears that the original Elmwood Park could have been the ‘Central Park’ of Holyoke where people of many backgrounds and incomes could have enjoyed even today. But politicians always contend with the ‘pull’ to DO SOMETHING! Too often, the ‘do something’ leads them to target park and playground spaces – those areas dedicated to public recreation for the purpose of promoting and encouraging physical activity; stress relief; socialization; contemplation; peacefulness; nature; teamwork; nature; plants; color; imagination; rest; and the value of sharing space with others. Are parks the result of the works of nature/God that are tweaked by humans so that we can safely use them for a variety of activities? Are school buildings, and other structures entirely designed and brought into being by man? In today’s culture, buildings appear to be more valuable to society than parks and playgrounds. Less than 100 years ago, the culture of Holyoke coveted the expanse of Elmwood Park. By the 1950’s, the political culture changed so much that Elmwood Park was treated as undeveloped land that was ripe for new buildings and highways; parkland was not considered to be as valuable as it used to be. Maybe in the distant future the culture will value ‘virtual’ experiences more than face-to-face experiences. Maybe the dwindling population numbers will lead to fewer and fewer taxpayers. Maybe the prices of sustaining massive school system budgets will be viewed as unnecessary with the option to go ‘virtual’. I’m certainly don’t believe virtual/online schooling adequately meets the needs of most students. Cultural mindsets change. I won’t be around if it happens. Few, if any of us, might be around to witness the change where the politicians and other influencers come to see this light: reduce and/or destroy the urban parklands and the culture will suffer. No amount of 21st Century school buildings, new roads, housing developments built to replace dedicated urban park space has improved the urban human condition as much as celebrated. Look at and explore the density of the inner city Holyoke’s, Springfield’s, etc. and try to convince people that the past 100 years of urban parkland removal has provided the benefits expected, without unexpected consequences. Imagine if the dense urban neighborhoods had a Holyoke version of a ‘Central Park’ where Elmwood Park used to be? It’s too bad that we can only see remnants of the former park. Maybe someday, a park will rise from its footprint that has been taken over. Maybe someday, there will be guided and self guided tours through a re-established park to show a chunk or a set of concrete steps where the Peck School was or where Holyoke High used to be. Maybe someday, the culture will once again place a high priority on urban parkland for the social, physical, mental well-being that adequate urban parkland has proven to provide. But unless people see the light and attempt to understand the negative consequences resulting after the takeover and destruction of great amounts of urban parkland, there probably will never be another ‘Elmwood Park’. There has to be motivation to envision it and to see that it does happen – someday.