The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a mile-and-a-half stretch of contemporary parks in the heart of Boston situated on land created from the largest transportation investment in US history: The Big Dig. When the elevated central highway was rerouted underground, community leaders seized the opportunity to create a park that would reunite downtown and the waterfront and revitalize the area. The non-profit Conservancy was established in 2005 and took over park operations in 2009.
The North End Parks portion of the Greenway was designed to recall formal European gardens. Two parcels featured boxwood gardens, open lawns, and linear plazas with fountains, pergolas, and seating. These parks are immensely popular with North End residents and visitors from throughout the world. However, the original Boxwood Gardens failed due to design and installation issues.
Partnering with the Lynch Foundation
Carolyn was a supporter of the Greenway from the mid-2000s. She was an avid and expert gardener and a champion of the belief that accessible, beautiful outdoor spaces are essential for a vibrant community and health. Carolyn’s first deep project involvement with the Greenway was with the presentation of the monumental suspended aerial sculpture “As If It Were Already Here” (recalling the now deconstructed elevated highway) by Janet Echelman in 2015. Support for this project was the Foundation’s first major grant to the Greenway.
In 2017, the Greenway Conservancy approached the Foundation about an endowment to rehabilitate and maintain the Southern Boxwood Gardens, which had failed to thrive. The Lynch Foundation gave one of the largest grants of its history to this project, and Greenway designers and gardeners worked closely with the Lynch family gardener to create a world-class space that incorporates flowers Carolyn used in the family homes in Marblehead and Ireland. The former Southern Boxwood Gardens is now the Carolyn Lynch Garden.
The Foundation’s support of the Greenway continues to this day.