(continued
from History of Branch Brook Park - page 1)
In
July of 1895 the City of Newark transferred approximately 60 acres
of this land to the Essex County Park Commission, at a cost of $350,687.
"Reservoir Park" became the nucleus of Branch Brook Park. Additional
acquisitions extending the park northward were aided by the generosity
of "several public spirited Newark families," such as the Ballantine
Family who donated 32 acres of their property. Another 50 plus acres
were given by Z.M. Keene, William A. Righter and Messrs. Heller.
The Park doubled in size through acquisitions and purchases between
1924 and 1929. Branch Brook Park, the first county park in the United
States became one of The largest "city" parks in the country.
The
public contributed in 1898 by voting a 1.5 million dollar appropriation
for the continuation of construction work begun in 1895. Old Blue
Jay Swamp was transformed into a lake, flower gardens, and expanses
of lawns by 1900. The firm of John Bogart and Nathan F. Barrett
had been hired in 1895, to provide plans and advise for development
of the park. Their design was romantic in style, and was dominated
by geometrical patterned gardens and arbors. In 1898, Robert Ballantine
presented the park with a handsome beaux-arts entrance gateway erected
at the corner of Lake Street and Ballantine Parkway. In 1900, the
cornerstone for Sacred Heart Cathedral was laid and in the same
year, the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted was retained to revise the
original plans for the park. It was refined into more naturalistic
lines with gracefully curving paths and roadways. One of the outstanding
aspects of the design was the concert area in the southern portion
bordering Branch Brook Lake. Directly across the lake on a projection
of land known as Meeker Mound, the Olmsted firm built an octagonal
gazebo. The present greenhouse was constructed in 1910.
page 2 of 3
The
public contributed in 1898 by voting a 1.5 million dollar appropriation
for the continuation of construction work begun in 1895. Old Blue
Jay Swamp was transformed into a lake, flower gardens, and expanses
of lawns by 1900. The firm of John Bogart and Nathan F. Barrett
had been hired in 1895, to provide plans and advise for development
of the park. Their design was romantic in style, and was dominated
by geometrical patterned gardens and arbors. In 1898, Robert Ballantine
presented the park with a handsome beaux-arts entrance gateway erected
at the corner of Lake Street and Ballantine Parkway. In 1900, the
cornerstone for Sacred Heart Cathedral was laid and in the same
year, the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted was retained to revise the
original plans for the park. It was refined into more naturalistic
lines with gracefully curving paths and roadways. One of the outstanding
aspects of the design was the concert area in the southern portion
bordering Branch Brook Lake. Directly across the lake on a projection
of land known as Meeker Mound, the Olmsted firm built an octagonal
gazebo. The present greenhouse was constructed in 1910.