Evening journal., 1912-02-15
EXPERT
SEES NEED OF
MORE PARKS
John NOIsn Points Out Many
Desirable Sites to
Commission
BOARD SPREADS
RECOMMENDATIONS

President William p Bancroft of
the Board of Park Commissioners I
Yesterday afternoon submitted to the
members Of that body a letter he re-
ceived from John Nolen, a landscape
architect, of Cambridge, Mass, whom
he recently had come to Wilmington
to look over the city and pass upon
its needs for parks. The letter is
interesting and will be read by all
lovers of natures beauty.
The letter was read and spread on
the minutes, no other action being
taken. 1t follows:
Permit me to briefly summarize
the conclusions Of my visit u Will
mington last Monday and my con-
terence with you and the others.
a. Il am convinced that the city
; ought TO acquire the property now
available for a park in the south
western section of the city From
what | saw of this property, it is
admirably adapted for park purposes
4 and situated in a section not yet pro-
vided for The terms on which Il
can be had are very favorable to the
/, city. My visit was too short to war
rant any opinion as to the proper
4. boundaries of the park. This point
\ l should think, would have 20 be care
fully considered in connection Win
the topoeraphy, the woodland, the use
n and development Of the surrounding
areas, and the probable purposes and
n design of the park itself.
(2) Il was also convinced Of the
value of a suitable boulevard or park
way connecting the proposed park
4 in the Southwest section of the city
with Rockford Park and Brandywine
Park The Importance Of parkway
Il or boulevard connections, thus trans
n forming detached parks into a park
system can scarcely be over-estmat-
ed. II appears to be a method Of park
DEVELOPMENT which has not yet mad
u sufficient attention in Wilmington.
l3) "The location Of DUPONT road
II with reference to parks. the high
way system, and other important city
developments in Wilmington, is a
matter of considerable importance
1 Without knowing more Of the pro-
1 ject. il is impossible for men TO eX-
u press an opinion. ! trust, however
that the location of the road viii
take into account such matters as
have referred to and that it will pro
vide for a liberal development OF th'
road wherever it crosses the city.
(4) "The selection of sites for play
grounds in closely built up section
is one requiring careful study ol
&c s~h r,F
u perty. II is now a well-establishe
principle that Fairgrounds in orde
to serve their purposes must be clos
TO the homes of the people. Thi
usually means within half a mile
No one could form an opinion as Z
the best property for such pur
nose without going over all of tn
territory and gathering informatio
y also with regard 70 real estate values
If the properties under considera
tion are notltoo costly, they woul
y nrobably be desirable ones for play
ground USE They are convenient
st situated and the improvements are /
aI the main Inexpensive or undesirable
should favor giving preference
\ the larger blocks, even though
IA the property we're not acquired Z
|il the nrcSent tme- ihtg Woulu ~
more useful and in the long run prov
more satisfactory.
(5) 1T seems to me that the par
k3 and playground work at Wilmingto
would be advanced by the prepar;
ton Of a General Plan showing eXis
ing and proposed parks, parkway
Fairgrounds, etc. Even if this ma
we're small and merely in the nj
ure of a key map, it would be us'
full. II ought to be published ann
ally or perhaps biennially, in the par
report Thus the system as who
would be kept before the people. ar
an interest in its development awal
ened and sustained. I have in mir
such a map as was printed in u
Madison, Wisconsin, report of 19'
(opposite page 1000, the Chattanool
man of which l send you a copy,
the kind Of map that has been pu
ushed i'm some of the Kansas CT
park reports.
"These are the main conclusions
my visit. They were more fully sta
cd in conversation and discussion, b
{ thought it might be Of some lit
value to you to have in written for
this brief record"