The origin of the playground: The role of the Boston women's clubs, 1885–1890

The Massachusetts Emergency and Hygiene Association established the first playground in the United States at the Parmenter‐Street Chapel in Boston's North End. This historical study explores primary sources that have not been presented heretofore in the body of literature related to the development of playgrounds in the United States. The growth of these playgrounds occurred a decade before Joseph Lee's involvement in using playgrounds as a social tool for “Americanizing” immigrants.