The Bartlet Mall and Frog Pond is the City of Newburyport's most visually prominent municipal park. Centrally located on High Street at one of the main gateways to the City's downtown, the 7.3-acre park is an easy walk from the central business district as well as a number of residential neighborhoods and schools. Its walkways and main promenade are a prime destination for runners, strollers, and dog walkers, and the site plays a major role in hosting several annual festivals.

Park description: The park is made up of several components. A wide, tree-lined, pedestrian promenade runs approximately 250 yards along High Street, and ties in to a system of footpaths that run along the perimeter of the park and the edge of the pond. The historically significant and beautiful Essex Superior Courthouse-the oldest continuously operated courthouse in America-is located along the promenade at the top of Green Street. A lovely kettlehole pond, with a sculptured cast iron fountain aerating the water, occupies the center of the park. A playground and basketball court occupy one corner across the street from an elementary school, and open lawn and trees fill out the rest of the park.

Historic Significance: The area around the Frog Pond has been used as a town common since the 1600's. The promenade known as the Bartlet Mall was created in 1800 through the efforts of Captain Edmund Bartlet by filling in a ravine. In 1887, Charles Eliot developed a plan to improve the Common, and much of the park's historical significance dates to this plan. The framework of the park and the essential elements designed by Eliot-the grading, stair locations and circulation routes-are enjoyed by the public to this day. Charles Eliot was an internationally famous, early seminal figure in the field of landscape architecture, and partnered with Frederick Law Olmsted before his untimely death in 1897. The National Register of Historic Places, which is the nation's official listing of cultural resources most worthy of preservation, includes the Bartlet Mall and Superior Courthouse.

Promenade Restoration Project: While the park is recognized as one of the jewels of the Cit's public park and recreation system, decades of deferred maintenance have lead to somewhat dilapidated facilities and appearance. A master plan for restoring and improving the park was completed in 1998. In 2001 and 2003, the promenade was restored in two phases. The broad walkway was regraded, crowned to provide surface drainage, and edged with a flush granite curb. The adjacent lawns were replanted and a new irrigation system installed. The majority of haphazardly planted trees were transplanted to other locations in the park, and new Allee Elms were planted to recreate the historical symmetry and overarching canopy along the promenade. Period lighting was established along the pond side of the walkway, as well as new benches. Finally, cast iron bollards were installed to prevent cars parking in front of the courthouse from spilling out too far into the walkway. The general contractor for the work was John D. Hartnett & Son of Newburyport. Transplanting of trees was by Greeno, Inc.

Contributors: The two-phase restoration of the Bartlet Mall promenade cost approximately $180,000, and was made possible by the following contributors:

Next Steps: In addition to developing and improving the annual maintenance program for the Bartlet Mall, there are a number of capital improvements which need to be designed and constructed. It is imperative that the City capitalize on the existing momentum and extend the improvements along the promenade to the rest of the park. Currently, funding needs to be identified for any new initiatives proposed at the Bartlet Mall. In summary, the City is interested in pursuing the restoration of a pathway around the edge of Frog Pond; rehabilitating and replacing the various stairs down to the pond; restoring and expanding the upper pathways; extending the promenade to the east and west; and potentially burying the overhead utility lines and removing the poles along this historic stretch the next time High Street is re-surfaced.