Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Cabot Bradley estate - Canton, MA. Canton, MA. - Covering 90 acres of land just south of Boston, the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate offers visitors scenic views of plants, a farm, hiking trails, and a mansion built in the 20th century. In 1902, Dr. Arthur Tracy Cabot hired an architect named Charles Platt to design a country estate. In 1945, Dr. Cabot's niece, Eleanor Cabot Bradley acquired the property. Today, the Cabot Bradley estate is managed by the Trustees of Reservations.  

L exington, MA. - “Treasured Lands: The Fifty-Eight U.S. National Parks in Focus” by Quang-Tuan Luong is a photograph exhibit that depicts scenic views of the wondrous National Parks in the United States. Over the past 15 years, Luong traveled to the 58 U.S. National Parks taking more than 7,000 pictures. A trained scientist, Luong was raised in France where he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Paris. Luong found his true passion in photography and traveling the world. His interest in photography and nature led him to travel America in order to capture the majestic views of the 58 National Parks. Luong traveled to several states including: Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington state, and St. John U.S.V.I. In August, I visited the “Treasured Lands” exhibit where it is on display at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts. Each picture of a given national park was accompanied by a ...

2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Charles River Esplanade. I write this article to highlight this great milestone. As a fourth year seasonal Ranger at the Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields which are located on the Esplanade, I have learned about the park’s unique features. The Esplanade is a well known and popular location that is used for a variety of recreational activities. The Esplanade is a unique place because it has numerous historical attributes portraying the rich history of the city of Boston and the DCR. The term Esplanade - first used in 1910 to describe the parkland, is a French word that means “promenade along a shore.” The Esplanade stretches approximately 3 miles along the Boston side of the Charles River, from the Boston University Bridge to the Museum of Science. The Esplanade contains: 6 miles of walkways & bikeways, 3 boathouses, an athletic field complex, 6 wooden docks, and over 1,900 trees. A sp...

L ast summer I visited two parks in the Boston, Massachusetts area that are especially noteworthy because of the historical significance of the people who the parks are named after. The state of Massachusetts, in particular the Boston area, is well-known for its institutions of higher education and cultural & historic landmarks. Massachusetts also has numerous parks that offer open space for public recreation. O ne place is Macdonald Park in Medford. This park is named after Torbert Hart Macdonald (1917 - 1976) who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Macdonald Park is part of the Mystic River Reservation. The Reservation is home to the Mystic Lakes – one of the best protected streams in Massachusetts. In addition to Macdonald Park, the Mystic River Reservation includes Mary O’Malley Park in Chelsea, Draw Seven Park in Somerville, and Shannon Beach in Winchester. M acdonald attended Harvard College where he was roommates with John Fitzgerald Kennedy. After graduating ...