"The citizens of Newton and surrounding towns now have a pleasure resort, the need of which has long been felt. The beautiful grove in the vicinity of Echo Bridge, which divides Upper Falls and Needham has been leased to a public spirited gentleman, and under the supervision of Mr. John R. Hall, the well known architect of Boston, hundreds of workmen have within the last two months transformed the grounds into a little fairy land. Echo Bridge was built by the city of Boston many years ago as a means of conveying the large water pipes from Lake Cochituate, and is considered one of the finest structures in masonry in the country. It is also of wide special fame on account of its grand echo, which attracts hundreds of people to the spot. The architect has built two large bridges over the Charles River. These lead to a broad staircase, extending up the cliff 30 feet, with broad landings, to the winding pathways, shaded by stately elms, oaks and pines, direct to the center of the park, situated on an oblong shaped hill. A large dance pavilion has been erected on the Gothic style of architecture, 40 x 100 feet, open on all sides, with a high pitched roof. The pavilion is enclosed, with seats extending around. The floor is of maple. Adjoining the pavilion, and extending down the slope, long rows of seats have been erected, facing the music stand. At the foot of the slope and facing the pavilion Mr. Hall has erected a two-story octagon music stand, 20 feet in diameter. The band will be placed in the second story, which commands a view of the entire grounds. The lower story will be used for the refreshment stand, the shutters opening in a manner to form a roof around the building. The whole is finished with a high polished roof, with a flag staff at the top.
Distributed over the grounds are some 300 seats, similar to those on Boston Common. Accommodations have been made to seat 2,500 people. The entrance to the park is from the Newton side. Located near the entrance is an old fashioned mansion of the colonial style, and the building will be used for the sale of refreshments, conducted on temperance principles. The grounds are well supplied with swings, merry-go-rounds, etc., with lavatories for both ladies and gentlemen.
These beautiful grounds were thrown open to the public last Sunday afternoon. In the evening they assumed an additional splendor by the illumination of the electric lights, casting their rays upon the whole of Echo Bridge, displaying the immense granite arches, the falls and the beautiful winding Charles River. The new bridges were lighted with red, blue and white in large glass globes. For picturesque scenery the spot cannot be surpassed. Fern-covered rocks, the falls, umbrageous groves, precipitous banks and bridges reflected in the deep, still waters, all form one of the most charming pictures that can be imagined. The attendance was very large on Sunday evening, an excellent concert was given by the Crescent Band of Waltham. The Echo Bridge Park, above described, is now open to the public every day of the week including Sunday. There is no quieter nor more beautiful spot in the entire city where women and children may resort during the afternoon, situated as it is in the midst of beautiful scenery, and shaded by pines and hemlocks."
All this was made possible by the coming of the new electric street car rai1way to the village. It is recorded that on a pleasant Sunday afternoon as many as 5,000 people came here by that means to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. However, for some reason architect Hall's charming creation was doomed to be short-lived. Two years later, in 1895, the Metropolitan Park Commission (predecessor to the Metropolitan District Commission) acquired the area. Charles Eliot, the man who helped organize the Trustees of Public Reservations and was the first landscape architect of the Metropolitan Park Commission, funded in 1895, repeatedly urged the Commission to acquire the Hemlock Gorge Reservation which he described as one of the most beautiful spots in the metropolitan area. After the acquisition Eliot further urged that Frederick Law Olmsted, founder of American landscape architecture (under whom Eliot had served as apprentice architect), be retained to design a detailed sight plan for the new reservation. News that this eminent individual was to redesign Hemlock Gorge in a manner that would eliminate Echo Bridge Park probably was received with mixed feelings by the local populace. Yet they may have felt honored to gain the attention of a man who designed, with his partners, 89 parks in 30 states! His works include Central Park in New York, the grounds of the United States Capitol in Washington, the site plan for Stanford University, Mount Royal Park in Montreal, the plan of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and an elaborate system of parks and parkways in Buffalo.
Mr. Olmsted's achievements in the Boston area are equally outstanding. Most everyone is aware of all his accomplishments in the creation of the series of beautiful parks within the city of Boston that extended into a number of beauty spots out in the suburbs, popularly called Olmsted's "Emerald Necklace." We like to think Hemlock Gorge was the pendant of his Necklace as it is considered to be among his last achievements before an illness forced the conclusion to all his activities. The writer was fortunate enough to have seen some of Olmsted's large drawings of the area in his office before the building became an historical museum. But one will always remember Echo Bridge Park. It probably represents the last use of private money in the major development in Hemlock Gorge.