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.

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 re-graded, crowned to provide surface drainage, and edged with a flush granite curb. The adjacent lawns were replanted 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.

Copy courtesy of the City of Newburyport website, with special appreciation for Geordie Vining,
Newburyport Office of Planning and Development