Baltimore Park Entries
Baltimore, Maryland.

Heritage Landscapes is currently working with Baltimore Recreation and Parks, Capital Projects and the Mayor’s Office on the upgrading of park entries for Druid Hill, Clifton, Herring Run and Carroll Parks. Park entries are emblems of municipal vibrancy and welcome. Today many park entries are unmarked or have deteriorated piers and signs. The project seeks to create a definition of park entries and extend the concept of park entry framing and identification to these four parks. The objective is to make the park entries more visible and inviting, attuned to the unique character of each park.The project began with a study of park, estate and neighborhood entries in Baltimore and in a dozen other cities. The graphic capture of historic and current plans and views provided a vocabulary for Baltimore entry treatments and an overview of materials and elements used in historic settings in other cities.

The entries of the four parks were observed and photographed on site. Options for entry elements were tested. The vocabulary of elements encompassed forms and materials for entries such as piers, monumental rocks, walls, and flagpoles with custom park banners. At each entry the park name and date of origin are displayed. The aesthetic and functional improvements to park entries include plantings of street-edge and entry-framing trees, including tall shade trees, columnar trees, and flowering trees arranged in single or double rows or in informal clusters and groves. Alternatives were studied and selections made to harmonize with the unique character and qualities of each park. Using existing condition photographs as background, the proposed elements were drawn in. The design phase of the park entry studies concludes with final designs and preliminary estimates of cost. The intent is to use the entry illustrations developed for each park to gain support for funding these entry enhancements.

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