New England Park Association
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History


The New England Park Association was conceived on a “blizzardy day” in March 1898 by George A. Parker, Superintendent of Keney Park in Hartford, Connecticut.

A meeting followed at the Brunswick Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts on April 6 and 7, 1898, called by J.A. Pettegrew, Superintendent of Parks in Boston. At this meeting the New England Association of Park Superintendents was born. An inspection of the Cambridge and Boston parks followed on the second day.

After years of growth, several name changes and the broadening of its scope, the organization met in Louisville, KY in 1920, when the American Institute of Parks Executives and the American Parks Society emerged.

In 1965 this group merged with the National Recreation Association to become the parent organization: The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

Today, the New England Park Association continues to provide an important network of ideas, information, professional development and support for over 400 members throughout the region.



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