The Parkman Bandstand
The Parkman Bandstand is a landmark bandstand located
on the eastern side of the Boston Common in Boston,
Massachusetts, USA. It was built in 1912 from a design
by Derby, Robinson & Shephard at a cost of $1 million on the
site of the Cow Pond (also known as the Horse Pond), which
had been filled in 1838 after cattle-grazing had been
outlawed on the Common.
Named for George F. Parkman, the bandstand was
constructed following his death in 1908, in honor of a $5
million donation he had willed for the care of the Boston
Common and other city parks. Parkman was the son of George
Parkman, a doctor who had donated land for Harvard Medical
School's first campus a few years before his murder and
dismemberment at the hands of Harvard Medical School
professor John Webster in 1849.
In 1996, the bandstand was restored and is used today
for concerts, rallies, and speeches. Recent notable
gatherings include the Boston Freedom Rally and a 2007
Presidential Primary rally in which both Barack Obama and
Deval Patrick gave speeches from the bandstand.
Photo 73, July 2012