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Broad Meadows was once a large Salt Marsh containing small salt ponds and many tidal creeks where the Town River meets the Atlantic Ocean in Quincy Bay. Between 1938 and 1956 approximately 106 acres of the marshland was filled in with dredged material from a Federal Navigation project designed to make the Town River more accessible to larger watercraft. From 1957 to the 1970s 36 acres of those filled in acres were developed for community needs – the Broad Meadows Middle School and the Murphy Youth Hockey arena among the uses. Quincy Parks Conservancy seeks to preserve and restore the remaining area as Passanageset Park, an open space dedicated to passive recreation for the pleasure of Quincy’s residents and visitors, an estuarine habitat and home for migratory bird species.
The park’s naming is based on the Native American name for the site, Passanageset Knoll; one of the homes of Chickatawbut, leader of the Massachusett tribe in the early 1600s. In 2013, a group of Broad Meadow Middle School 7th grade students – dubbed the “History Girls” – embarked on an aggressive school project. The History Girls researched the history of Native American peoples on the land that is modern Quincy. Their tremendous effort led to public recognition of the Passaganeset Park Project. More information on the original Passaganeset project and the History Girls is available at : http://passanageset.org/passanageset-project/original-project-proposal/.
The first phase of this restoration and park development project will include establishing 5 – 6 planting groves along up to 6 miles of passive walking trails that span the property from end to end. Each grove will consist of one or more shade trees, indigenous grasses as well as non-invasive native shrubs and flowers. The groves will also feature bench seating and grassy areas for walkers or joggers to rest or just enjoy the expansive view. The design of each grove is intended to support a sanctuary for the over 150 species of birds that make their home in Passaganeset Park as well as the many species of crustaceans, shellfish and marine animals that thrive in its waters. Details of the landscaping architect’s plans and a planting palette are shown below. Subsequent phases of this restoration are already in the planning stages.
Funding for this new park will come through public/private partnerships and the generosity of individual donors like you. Please click here to visit our donation page to see how your gift can help us preserve, restore and maintain this spectacular open space. Too often our open spaces are used for commercial development or as dumping grounds, this is a unique opportunity to be part of creating a new park that will provide a peaceful haven for both man and beast in an otherwise bustling city for generations to come.