Bartlet Mall Restoration Project

Bartlet Mall was Newburyport's original town common and has long served as a place of community and historic significance within the city.

The Frog Pond at the center of the Mall formed during the ice age and its shape is essentially unchanged. Unfortunately, because water no longer flows in or out, the pond bed is now contaminated.

In the past, the City had prioritized restoration of Bartlet Mall for the enjoyment of future generations and had developed a project estmated to cost approximately $5 million.

On June 18th, 2025, the City Council voted, 6 to 5, to remove this project from the 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan and to deny it any future CPA funding. It is unclear if the City Council will accept the $775,000 Mass Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, if it is formally awarded this fall. The Council may revisit its votes in the next legislative session, starting January 1.

The Parks Alliance continues support this project as part of our general advocacy for the city's parks.

Learn more about the project here. All donations are warmly accepted (please use the donate button above).

Donating to the Port Parks Alliance

The Ports Parks Alliance fund helps support the care, preservation and enhancement of Newburyport parks. Together, our gifts help Newburyport build and maintain outdoor spaces that create community and preserve nature.

Giving

Unrestricted donations: Donations towards capital improvements across any of our parks are always welcome.

Give in Honor on in Memory: Make a donation in honor or memory of a loved one and we will send a letter to the honoree or family notifying them of your gift. When donating, please include the following information:

Note if the donation is In Honor or In Memory of someone
Honoree's first and last name
Appropriate mailing address and recipient name for the honoree

How to Give

Credit Card, Venmo or PayPal using the Donate button at the top of this page.

Check/Cash: Donations can be made by cash or check. Checks should be made out to the "Port Parks Alliance" and mailed to 83 High Street, Newburyport, 01950.

Donor Advised Fund: The Ports Parks Alliance tax ID is 92-1663647. We are registered with Fidelity's EFT and can also accept checks sent to 83 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.

Donation policy

All donations to the Alliance will be forwarded to the Newburyport City Council for acceptance, including donor name, address, and amount. The Alliance will be in compliance with all rules required of nonprofits by the City of Newburyport.

The Alliance will accept unrestricted gifts of any amount for use at the City’s 26 public parks per the Parks Commission and Division’s needs. A very small percentage of unrestricted gifts may be used for Alliance expenses.

Restricted gifts may be given only to those projects designated as a priority by the Parks Commission and Division. The Alliance will consult with the Parks Commission and Division prior to accepting any restricted gifts outside of the listed categories.

Bartlet Mall Restoration Project

Donating to the Port Parks Alliance

How to Give

Donation policy

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