Buttonwood Park Pond
Good Morning and have a good day
Today I will share a few shots taken around the pond at Buttonwood Park here in New Bedford MA
but first a little bit about the park and the pond it is located in the West End of New Bedford, Buttonwood Park stands as a 97-acre "crown jewel" of urban green spaces. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this sweeping sanctuary provides a perfect blend of active recreation and tranquil natural landscapes.
The park was originally master-planned in 1895 by Charles Eliot, a brilliant partner in the legendary landscape architectural firm Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot—the same minds behind New York's Central Park.
Eliot envisioned Buttonwood as a rustic, family-friendly oasis meant to offer an equal escape for all city dwellers regardless of background. Today, its winding paths, expansive "Great Lawn," mature arboretum, and the famous Buttonwood Park Zoo continue to honor that enduring legacy.
At the very center of Eliot’s pastoral design sits Buttonwood Pond.
Fed by the 8.5-mile Buttonwood Brook, this body of water was central to the Olmsted firm's vision. When Eliot first surveyed the site's original farmland in 1894, he recommended removing old dams and significantly expanding the existing six-acre pond. His plan paired the expanded water feature with an undulating meadow, strategically framing long, picturesque views that let visitors lose themselves in nature.
Now I haven't been to the park for a while; I've mostly been getting out for early morning walks, but the other day I had to go to the supermarket, went a bit early, and stopped for a quick visit by the pond around sunrise.
One thing I like about the park is that it has benches all around for people to sit, relax, and enjoy the view, funny I should say that, as I have never sat on any of them.
Sony A7iv 20mm F10 5 Sec ISO 100
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This next photo is from earlier in the year
Sony A7iv 17mm F10 1/320 Sec ISO 100
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and another one from the other days morning visit
Sony A7iv 20mm F10 4 Sec ISO 100
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And I do love this little island and tree in the center of the pond
Sony A7iv 80mm F8 1/320 Sec ISO 100
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