Finally — Opening Day !
On July 22 , 2016 , Pulaski Park re-opened to the public . Every element in this park , visible and invisible , is considered , authentic , and represents a sense of place . The following is the final excerpt from my remarks at the opening : always been embedded in our studio , and we were able to specify New England products for the majority of design materials in the Park . The Goshen stone walls and slabs came from Sugar Ledge Quarry in Cummington ; the granite blocks were salvaged from a mill in Lowell ; the Black Locust logs came from Colrain ; the industrial carts came from a dealer at the Brimfield Antiques Show ; and the majority of the trees came from Stimson ’ s own Charbrook Nursery in Princeton . We take a lot of pride in finding indigenous materials that have sentimental value and meaning in the Park design and its sense of place .
An exception was the lumber used for the performance stage , nature play deck , and urban lounge . We had originally specified Black Locust , 2x4 actual , and the Contractor sourced it from a mill in upstate NY and put a 50 % down payment on the order several months ahead of schedule . Unfortunately , our order was sold to a job in Central Park ( frustrating and unbelievable ), and it left our project schedule in limbo just two weeks before the scheduled Park opening . It literally came down to our Contractor on-site at the mill versus the mill owner ( with his gun in-holster !), and it became very obvious that we had to abandon the Black Locust after that incident . We finally managed to get a great crop of FSC certified hardwood from Select Wood in Portsmouth , NH , who cobbled together the entire order within one day . Flexibility , quick thinking , coordination , and lots of phone calls and collaboration between us , Mountain View , and a variety of lumberyards we ’ ve worked with over the years was the key to solving this particular problem .
“ I will leave you with one final thought . The fence is down , the Park is open . It is now up to you , the City and community of Northampton , to take care of this landscape . It will need your respect and your diligence . We urge you to be the stewards of this common land . Everyone can play a role , large or small . Pick up the trash , don ’ t tread on the plants , respect the furniture , clean up after your dog . This is the only public green space in the heart of Northampton . Everyone needs this space . It represents you , your values and your community . Treat this place like an extension of your own home , and it will be here for the next generation and continue to grow with all of us for the next 100 years . “
Lauren Stimson , Principal , ASLA holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture and a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts Amherst . She received an ASLA Merit Award for her graduate work and is a licensed Landscape Architect in the State of Maine . She has a deep love of New England where she was raised , and an interest in the overlap between the built environment and the rural landscape , especially as it relates to historic villages and farms . She oversees Charbrook Studio and Nursery , in Princeton , MA .
All Grapics and Photos | Stephen Stimson Associates
22 BSLA