Press Release: 6/2/2025

DCR Celebrates Reopening of Lowell Memorial Park in Cambridge

 

$1.4 million Investment to Improve Accessibility and Preserve Urban Park Dedicated to Abolitionist and Poet James Russell Lowell 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

5/30/2025

MEDIA CONTACT

Ilyse Wolberg, DCR Deputy Communications Director

 Phone

Call Ilyse Wolberg, DCR Deputy Communications Director at (617) 360-1715

 Online

Email Ilyse Wolberg, DCR Deputy Communications Director at ilyse.wolberg@mass.gov

CAMBRIDGE — The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) celebrated the completion of a $1.4 million project to restore and improve access at Lowell Memorial Park in Cambridge. The park is named for renowned abolitionist James Russell Lowell. This project was a collaboration between DCR, residents in the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Plant and Garden Club, the Cambridge Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC), and Popplestone Foundation. Today’s ribbon-cutting marks a significant investment in preserving Massachusetts's cultural heritage and ensuring this urban park is accessible to people of all abilities. 

“The Lowell Memorial Park restoration project highlights DCR’s commitment to working with our municipal, nonprofit, and community partners to preserve the state’s rich cultural history while ensuring that visitors of all abilities can access our treasured landscapes,” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “This project will enhance accessibility and honor the life and legacy of James Russell Lowell, creating an inclusive urban oasis for residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come.”

Lowell Memorial Park is a National Historic Landmark and National Register-listed urban park located in the City of Cambridge. The park is dedicated to James Russell Lowell, an 1800s-era famous poet, diplomat, and abolitionist. The Lowell family lived at the Elmwood property from 1818 to 1920. Lowell Memorial Park remains the only part of the property that hasn't been developed. Elmwood was once the home of Thomas Oliver, the last Royal Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and Elbridge Gerry, who signed the Declaration of Independence and was Vice President of the U.S. under President Madison. During the Siege of Boston, General Washington used the estate as a hospital for soldiers. The land for the park was purchased by the Metropolitan District Commission and members of the local community in 1898 and was designed by the Olmsted Brothers as an entrance to Fresh Pond Parkway.  

“This is the kind of collaboration that builds communities,” said State Senator William Brownsberger. “This is a beautiful project and I’m very grateful to everyone who came together to make it happen.”

"I'm very thankful for the collaborative work that DCR did on this refresh of Lowell Memorial Park,” said State Representative Steven Owens. “The park had been long in need of some attention, and the results have been fantastic – serving the needs of the current residents while also honoring the historic nature of the property."   

The completion of this project is the culmination of a decade of partnership, public outreach, historic landscape stewardship, and private acts of generosity. In 2012, a group of Cambridge residents approached DCR to develop a plan for the park. With community input, DCR developed a cultural landscape report and undertook the preservation of the historic brick and limestone walls in Big Lowell. The project has been a true partnership between DCR, the Cambridge Plant and Garden Club, the Cambridge Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC), and Popplestone Foundation. DCR worked to develop a plan that focused on improved access and preservation of historic landscape characteristics, including removal of existing non-ADA compliant pathways and creation of new ADA complaint paths; planting, revitalization, and landscaping of trees, shrubs, and grass; installation of new pathways, benches, and lighting; and new identification signage and interpretive materials detailing the history of the park. 

“The City of Cambridge is pleased to complete another successful partnership project with DCR,” said Cambridge Historical Commission Executive Director Charles Sullivan. “The flexibility offered by Community Preservation Act funds allows localities to leverage state-funds for greater outcomes. Lowell Park is an excellent example of what such a partnership can accomplish.” 

“My late husband, Alan, and I wanted to give back to our community of Cambridge,” said Suzanne Werber Dworsky of Popplestone Foundation. “Popplestone Foundation was pleased to fund the rehabilitation of Lowell Memorial Park as a gift to all.”

“The Club is extremely grateful to the many entities who helped bring this project to fruition, especially the team at DCR. The DCR staff were wonderful partners throughout this process,” said Pamela Lingel, Cambridge Plant & Garden Club President. “Their deep understanding of the site—its historical and cultural significance, as well as its legacy as a cherished public green space—served as a catalyst for enthusiasm throughout the process. Incorporating city, state and private input and resources is what was needed for a successful result, and CP&GC was honored to have been part of the process.”