City January 11, 2010 10:37 AM

Hope For Olmsted's Lost Quarry Bridge and Garden

queenseyes 42

While eating at The Lunch Box this past week I came across this old photo in the adjoining lawn bowling clubhouse. Have you ever walked around the Parkside Lodge and noticed that there is an old stone walkway that serves no purpose other than being aesthetically pleasing? Well, that walkway was once a fully functioning bridge that traversed the historic Delaware Park Quarry Garden.

When looking at this photo, it's easy to imagine that the structure was the sister bridge to the one that is located over near Hoyt Lake. To think that someone would have thought that it would be a good idea to dump the soil from the excavated Scajaquada Expressway into the Quarry Garden, thus turning the bridge into an exposed stone walkway.

I spoke to Thomas Herrera-Mishler, Executive Director of the Olmsted Parks, about the future plans to restore the magnificent Quarry Garden, and he was surprisingly upbeat regarding the not only the possibility, but the timeline. A close inspection of this Delaware Park map outlines a series of pools - the most noteworthy being Floral, Shady and Long. All of the water features were interconnected by a series of walkways while the Quarry Bridge was the star attraction as it overlooked the scenic floral displays below.

I'd often heard that the Quarry Garden was, at one point, a stunning attraction, but I never realized how dramatic it must have been. It was during the city's dark era when progress was king and even Olmsted's sacred vision was sacrificed. Unfortunately, we may not be able to reverse the actions of the past, but we can certainly reclaim much of what was lost thanks to the historic records and blueprints that have been preserved.

As for the timeline to restore the quarry? From Thomas Herrera-Mishler:

"We're hoping to start on the project within five to ten years. We are currently working on the Master Plan with Landscape Architect Dean Gowen in order to eventually restore the Quarry Garden along with reconnecting the lodge and the park. At one point there were French Doors on the front of the building that overlooked the grounds. It's been a long time desire to reduce the amount of land taken up by golf course - one of our commitments is not to reduce any sort of recreational resource without providing an equal or better resource somewhere else. The answer could be to provide nine great holes at the park and identify additional golfing opportunities elsewhere.

"Golf and the Quarry Garden did exist together for many years. It's part of the balancing act of restoring the landscape while continuing to offer recreational resources. It's important to get back to the original vision that Olmsted had for the park system. The Quarry Garden would be one of the most impressive gardens in the city and would be an incredible attraction for visitors - it would be one of the things that would be a 'must see' when visiting Buffalo. The proximity to the Darwin Martin House for a tour and the Parkside Lodge for lunch would be a perfect fit. If anyone has any historic photos of the Quarry Garden and surrounding lands, please share with us."

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Verdan

January 11, 2010 10:37 AM

There are two bridges, yes ?

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crc

January 11, 2010 10:57 AM

Makes you wonder if a plan like this would even be acted on if the city where to still be in control of the Park or gain control of the Olmsted Conservancy.

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nyc

January 11, 2010 11:01 AM

great project! I would love to see this landscape restored...and lose some of the golf course in the process.

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biniszkiewicz

January 11, 2010 11:14 AM

lose All of the golf course. Doesn't belong in the meadow. Build a new public course on the waterfront to replace this, but open up all of Delaware Park for all users, not just golfers.

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MrGreenJeans

January 11, 2010 11:38 AM

I'll second that motion! And I'd think that about 500 volunteers with shovels and wheelbarrows could have that quarry dug out again, in a few weekends. But I wonder how structurally sound are those bridges, after being buried for 50 years....

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DMZ

January 11, 2010 11:39 AM

A few years back I met a guy from Ottawa who was here doing some training at my place of employment for a month. He brought his bike and really wanted to take it out to a park with some trails preferably unpaved. Somehow he ended up at Delaware Park and was bewildered at why there was a golf course and a paved 2 lane road surrounding it. Now keep in mind that Ottawa has a massive park (which actually has a golf course, and some roads) I'm not sure how many people use that golf course, I'm sure it's a lot, but I always thought it was a waste. I would much rather see trails and trees filling up that land, even if it is small.

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Blackrocklifer

January 11, 2010 12:47 PM

The black and white photos look like they could have been taken in Central Park.
Agree the golf course needs to go, devoting so much public space to one group of users makes no sense.

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stephenjames716

January 11, 2010 12:53 PM

great article, thanks for bringing attention to this topic. It's great to know that there is a timetable to get this area restored.

hopefully next we can tunnel the 33 and restore humboldt parkway!

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Dagner

January 11, 2010 2:19 PM

The golf course in D. Park is a productive use of space. And I'm no fan of golf. Best to have a variety of recreational opportunities to draw more participants. That was Olmsted's vision, btw, not that we should be bound to 19th century ideas.

Very few people venture into the meadow during non-golf times. Walkers, runners, skiers, skaters, use the ring road heavily every day. Areas outside of the course, road, and courts rarely have any park users on them (meadow-side). I have a bird's eye view of the park from my home, so I witness activity and inactivity regularly. That's in addition to my own daily use of the park.

I favor returning the sunken gardens, which will sacrifice some of the golf course. Maybe they can just reverse the process and dump the fill back into the Scajaquada expressway, bringing that to road grade at Main St. That's the dream.

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townline

January 11, 2010 3:01 PM

I think you have Olmsted's vision a little off. From what I remember reading - he did not like the idea of active recreation in his parks. He designed them as a place to be experienced leisurely, to get away from the rigors, distraction and overstimulation of city life. They were supposed to take you away from the City and away from the planned activities of life. The parks were to be enjoyed passively, where each distinct piece of his design can be an experience, with a variety of elements for people to discover. I think he would absolutely hate the idea of a sports facility like a golf course spanning the entire Meadow, which was supposed to be the most relaxed and tranquil element of the design.

The golf course should go.

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 11, 2010 3:56 PM

"Very few people venture into the meadow during non-golf times'

That is because it is a golf course and therefore considered off limits to people. People are not generally allowed to walk, run, bike or do anything on golf courses because they will damage the turf \ landscaping.

So while people 'could' take a walk through after golfing hours no one will because it goes against what society has told them they are allowed to.

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Dagner

January 12, 2010 11:07 AM

The Conservancy ran golf-free Sundays once a month a few years ago. This was in response to those who complained about the golf monopoly on the Meadow and to gauge interest in other uses. This schedule may still hold, but they may just as well have abandoned the experiment since SO FEW people took advantage of it.

There are non-golf expanses in the park now. If they were ever crowded, or even frequented, it might be cause to dial down the golf. It does not happen.

The park gets used by the golfers. We need to optimize park use.

I'm surprised the urban-planner wannabes on this site don't see the value of providing walk-to recreational facilities in the city. Though most of the DPark golfers seem to drive there, plenty walk by my house with their clubs.

And BTW, no one thinks they're practicing for the Master's when they play here.

What would be the purpose of removing golf? So fewer people would use the park?

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 12, 2010 11:26 AM

The point would be to open up the majority of the park, some 95ish acres, to everyone and not just golfers. For the small majority of the park users that are actually golfers they take up too much of the park.

That is a lot of space for frisby, pick up soccer games, rugby, football, picnics, naps, walks, reading etc. All these activities are excluded and pushed to the fringe and can be quite overcrowded at times.

If there are organizations using the designated fields. you are left with little or no good open space for such activities. And no one wants to do many of the on the edge of the 198 \ Parkside \ Amherst st with all the traffic and worries about hitting someone's car.

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Chenango

January 12, 2010 11:30 AM

Excellent points Dagner. I started off anti-golf, but have changed my opinion. For now, the course protects the greenspace and gives function to the maintenance. More importantly, it is income for a park with no money.

Are you anti-golf people prepared to PAY to use the Meadow, to offset the revenue loss?
If so, then would fences be needed to keep others out?

The real answer is a 9 hole course.
The irony of our greenspaces is, it's the STRUCTURES that bring in the money: Juicery, Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Science Museum, rinks, Lodge, Casino, etc.

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Verdan

January 12, 2010 12:14 PM

Any revenue from golf is spent maintaining the course, and even if it shows a profit, it SHOULDN'T. Parks aren't a pay-per-use luxury for those who can afford it - they're for everyone.

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DMZ

January 11, 2010 4:13 PM

I don't normally wander onto the baseball diamonds when they're playing a game either. I'm sure people would take advantage of paths if they were there, especially if there were some trees, benches, and gardens.

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STEEL

January 11, 2010 2:26 PM

If they don't reinstall this garden maybe it could be converted to parking instead.

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 11, 2010 3:58 PM

I think the whole course should be gone. There isn't enough room in this site to have a good course. And while people may casually use the course it will never attract the level of use a real golf course elsewhere does. In fact if it was gone I don't think anyone would notice.

Sure some couldn't practice as close to home but thats about it. No one plays a serious round of golf here. Everyone in my office golfs and none of them even know there is a course at Delaware park to begin with.

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Armchair MBA

January 11, 2010 4:48 PM

Does the golf course make money? I would think the park would charge a fee to golf but is that enough to cover maintainance or generate a surplus? If so it should stay if not shut it down.

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 11, 2010 7:30 PM

I can't say for sure but I heard that Cazenovia is the only course that makes enough money to make it worth worth keeping up. Plus it also isn't on the historic side of the park.

The problem is that golfers are a very organized and vocal group of people and pressure is always pushed to keep the courses on Delaware and South Parks.

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quesaisje2

January 11, 2010 8:02 PM

No, don`t do it, if you excavate the old stones they will explode during the Buffalo winters. At least I thought I heard that once before...

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 11, 2010 9:16 PM

haha!

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300miles

January 11, 2010 9:53 PM

Over the past couple years I've been hearing rumors and little nuggets of information about the conservancy's plans for Delaware Park... but what IS their plan, and when will it be made public? I don't mean to sound critical, but just want to know what they're planning to do, and what the timeline is.

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grad94

January 11, 2010 10:03 PM

there's no big secret conspiracy. their master plan has been online for well over a year now,

http://www.buffaloolmstedparks.org/Tools/Portfolio/frontend/item.asp?type=2&size=0&lngDisplay=2&jPageNumber=1&strMetaTag=

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Chenango

January 12, 2010 11:33 AM

. . . and no money
(to pull off a "secret" conspiracy")

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 12, 2010 11:20 AM

You can also find the entire master plan for the Olmsted Park system. All destination 6 parks and connecting parkways and boulevards here. No conspiracy, it has been posted on this and other forums for quite a long time now.

http://urbandesignproject.ap.buffalo.edu/projects/olmsted/pdfs/TheSystemPlan2008.pdf

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grad94

January 11, 2010 10:12 PM

i wouldn't miss the golf course either and it would be thrilling to see that fantastic bridge restored. but i am not so sure a golf course-free meadow would be a big people-magnet. olmsted got a lot right but with his meadow fixation, he got this one wrong. big empty spaces do not attract, they repel.

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nyc

January 11, 2010 11:22 PM

the success of a meadow is dependent on the idea that it would not be occupied by a crowd of people. The city is busy, the meadow is tranquil. You don't see many people making use of the surface of the lake... same idea, different medium.

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grad94

January 12, 2010 7:40 AM

interesting but faulty analogy now that d. park has boat rentals and maybe skating in the winter. people are happy to be out on the water now that they have the means. the meadow even free of the golf course will have no appeal unless it is lined with shade trees and benches.

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townline

January 12, 2010 9:21 AM

There is no ice skating on Hoyt Lake. The boating is also pretty minimal and that activity doesn't alter the landscape of the lake or limit its use to others.

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townline

January 12, 2010 9:43 AM

The problem with the Golf course, besides limiting the use of the space to those playing, is that it requires a complete alteration of the landscape. A natural meadow doesn't have neatly trimmed grasses, completely void of flowers and vegetation growth. A meadow, reestablished to Olmsted's vision, would be a beautiful centerpiece of the park filled with variety and character. Its not the naked, lifeless space that you're envisioning. Unfortunately, we have an obsession with mowing the lawn around here...

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TMarch

January 12, 2010 9:48 AM

I wish the Olmsted group would add more information about interesting parts of the parks like this for all to enjoy. It's nice to discover them but even nicer to plan a history lesson for your kids while your out enjoying a family afternoon together. Is anyone else able to provide some links to places like this? We have so many amenities in our city, it would be nuice to have a centralized site for all of them.

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Sean Brodfuehrer

January 12, 2010 11:52 AM

Take a look at the plan I linked to above. 210 pages of history and proposals the parks.

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Verdan

January 12, 2010 11:21 AM

On any pleasant day, the Sheep's Meadow in Central Park is full of people just sitting on the grass, playing frisbee, having lunch, etc. It's so popular that they have to close it on occasion so the lawn can grow. "Empty" spaces don't seem to be repelling anybody there.

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Chenango

January 12, 2010 11:41 AM

There are 8 million people in NYC, 64x the population of Buffalo. And we have 107 parks in the city limits, state parks 10 minutes away, 2 great lakes and a river. No comparison.

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Verdan

January 12, 2010 12:10 PM

I knew somebody would say "oh, NYC is bigger, so people act differently". Wrong - people are attracted to pleasant natural spots, whatever the size of the town. And NYC has more parks and trees and shorelines than Buffalo ever will, so the need for good parks is greater, here. (and nothing mentioned above would have ANY bearing on whether somebody would like to visit a meadow at Delaware Park)

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KarlMalone

January 12, 2010 2:02 PM

Let's liberate the animals in the zoo, too.

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STEEL

January 12, 2010 3:08 PM

Look, We can never expect people to use this park if half of it is not converted to parking. Same as downtown. That meadow would be a magnet if you just insert parking into the center.

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Verdan

January 12, 2010 4:59 PM

Parking in the center, cut down all those pesky trees, and pave the remainder with dozens of tennis & basketball courts. Charge for the parking & use of the courts, naturally. If it makes money, it must be good! Zoo animals can be donated to food pantries. Otterburgers, yummo.

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KarlMalone

January 12, 2010 5:32 PM

Did they do that in Chicago? Maybe Chrome can shed some light on it for us all. I love the part how parks aren't suppose to make money or charge b/c they are for the people. Did Lenin say this somewhere. I have'n seen it anywhere in the Constitution or City Charter. Please site it

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MrGreenJeans

January 17, 2010 1:42 AM

The word is "cite", not "site". What he's saying is that a Public Park SHOULD be free, not that it is legally REQUIRED to be free (although it might be that, but I can't "Site" the law). Allowing a few lazy slobs to pretend they can golf, at the expense of 99% of park visitors, amounts to selling the land to them for a few bucks.

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GobFLO

January 14, 2010 8:10 AM

Golf courses are expensive to run with highly specialized equipment and skilled staff required to provide a decent playing experience. I have had the opportunity to play the course in the past two years and the maintenance of the three Olmsted courses were the best municipal golf course expereinces I've ever had. I suspect that if you haven't played the courses recently you wouldn't recognize them. Most cities charge for using their golf courses in order to cover some of the cost of maintenance. The Olmsted golf courses are WAY below the rest of the municipal courses in the region, by a lot. I can't imagine that the Conservancy is completely covering their costs at those amazingly low rates, but I see a lot of people of all socio-economic backgroundss using the courses. I would really like to see the Conservancy develop a plan for less golf in the meadow and more space for people to just hang out.

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