Congratulations to Reymond Kabuye and Wajih Khawaja first students to tweet a selfie from the January 19th #FindMeFriday location!
A little about this week’s location:
The George Washington Statue is the largest sculpture in Boston and sits in one of the most significant locations in Boston, the Arlington Street entrance of the Boston Public Garden. The statue was unveiled on July 3, 1869. It took Boston artist, Thomas Ball four years to create this statue due to limited supplies as a result of the Civil War. The statue is 22 feet tall, but when you include the 16 feet pedestal, the entire piece reaches an impressive 38 feet. The weight of the sculpture is supported by piles driven 11 feet deep into the ground.
The significance of George Washington does not need to be explained, as history classes have educated us on his legacy. The location of this statue, however, deserves to be shared for those who don’t know the is history of the Boston Public Garden.
The Boston Public Garden spans 24 acres between Arlington Street, Charles Street, Boylston Street, and Beacon Street. It was the first public botanical garden in the United States. Planning for the Public Garden began in 1859. The overall design was by George F. Meacham, the paths and flower beds were the work of engineer, James Slade, and the selection of trees, plants and flowers were the work of forester, John Galvin.
While the George Washington Statue is the largest sculpture, one of the most famous elements of the Public Garden is the pond, along with the the Swan Boats that grace the waters during the warm weather. The same year that the Washington Statue was erect, so was the notable suspension bridge over the middle of the pond. The bridge is always beautiful to see, but never more than right now, at dusk, with the holiday lights still shining the way from one end of the Garden to the other.
The Boston Public Garden provides the residents of Boston and the visitors to Boston a bit of serenity from the hustle and bustle of the city. When you feel the need to recharge and center yourself amidst nature, I encourage you to take advantage of the Boston Public Garden. While you are there, say hi to last week’s #FindMeFriday, Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings.
Go see your city, my friends!