Bushnell Park
Encyclopedia
Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut
is the oldest publicly funded park
in the United States
. It was conceived by the Reverend Horace Bushnell
in the mid-1850s at a time when the need for open public spaces was just starting to be recognized.
Reverend Bushnell asked his good friend and Hartford native, Frederick Law Olmsted
, to design the layout of the park. Olmsted, however, was occupied at the time with the double-duty of designing of New York City
's Central Park
and Springfield, Massachusetts
' Forest Park
, and thus declined the offer. Olmsted recommended Jacob Weidenmann
, a Swiss-born landscape architect and botanist. Weidenmann's plan for the park included graceful paths and clusters of trees that shielded strollers from the sounds of the city, and enhanced the presence of the Park River
which flowed through the park.
Later additions to the park include: the Horace Wells
Monument in 1875, sculpted by Truman Howe Bartlett
; the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
, designed by George Keller
in 1886 to commemorate those who fought in the American Civil War
; the Corning Fountain
in 1899, with sculpture by J. Massey Rhind
; the carousel in 1974; and the performance pavilion in 1995.
As a result of seasonal flooding, and especially after damage from the great flood of 1936, the Park River was buried in underground conduits, and a main feature of the park was lost.http://www.hogriver.org/issues/v01n01/hog_river_history.htm A pond was later added to return a water feature to the park. Today Bushnell Park is a focal point in downtown Hartford, and it is the site of several festivals and music events each year.
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
is the oldest publicly funded park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was conceived by the Reverend Horace Bushnell
Horace Bushnell
Horace Bushnell was an American Congregational clergyman and theologian.-Life:Bushnell was a Yankee born in the village of Bantam, township of Litchfield, Connecticut. He attended Yale College where he roomed with future magazinist Nathaniel Parker Willis. Willis credited Bushnell with teaching...
in the mid-1850s at a time when the need for open public spaces was just starting to be recognized.
Reverend Bushnell asked his good friend and Hartford native, Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, to design the layout of the park. Olmsted, however, was occupied at the time with the double-duty of designing of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
and Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
' Forest Park
Forest Park (Springfield)
Forest Park, on the banks of the Connecticut River in Springfield, Massachusetts, is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States, lying on of land. During the holiday season it features the nationally renowned Bright Nights light festival, a 2.6 mile high-tech lighting...
, and thus declined the offer. Olmsted recommended Jacob Weidenmann
Jacob Weidenmann
Jacob Weidenmann was a noted American landscape architect.Weidenmann was born in Winterthur, Switzerland, and educated at the Akadomie der Bildenden Kunste, where he studied art, architecture, and engineering. After graduating, he worked in Munich, Paris, London, New York City, Panama, and Peru,...
, a Swiss-born landscape architect and botanist. Weidenmann's plan for the park included graceful paths and clusters of trees that shielded strollers from the sounds of the city, and enhanced the presence of the Park River
Park River (Connecticut)
The Park River, sometimes called the Hog River, is a subterranean urban river that flows through and under the city of Hartford, Connecticut. It was diverted underground by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1940. The stated reason for this was to reduce the risk of spring seasonal floods which had...
which flowed through the park.
Later additions to the park include: the Horace Wells
Horace Wells
Horace Wells was an American dentist who pioneered the use of anaesthesia in dentistry, specifically nitrous oxide .-Life:...
Monument in 1875, sculpted by Truman Howe Bartlett
Truman Howe Bartlett
Truman Howe Bartlett , also known as T. H. Bartlett, was an American sculptor, and father to sculptor Paul Wayland Bartlett....
; the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch is a notable memorial to the American Civil War located in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the first permanent triumphal arch in America, and honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the war, and the 400 who died for the Union.The arch's first conception...
, designed by George Keller
George W. Keller
George Keller , was an American architect and engineer. He enjoyed a diverse and successful career, and was sought for his designs of bridges, houses, monuments, and various commercial and public buildings. Keller's most famous projects, however, are the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch in...
in 1886 to commemorate those who fought in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
; the Corning Fountain
Corning Fountain
Corning Fountain is a fountain with sculpture located in Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut.The two-tiered fountain was designed by sculptor J. Massey Rhind and dedicated in 1899. It was given to the city by John J. Corning in memory of his father, John Benton Corning , a Hartford businessman who...
in 1899, with sculpture by J. Massey Rhind
J. Massey Rhind
John Massey Rhind was a Scottish-American sculptor. Among Rhind's better known works is the marble statue of Dr. Crawford W. Long located in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C...
; the carousel in 1974; and the performance pavilion in 1995.
As a result of seasonal flooding, and especially after damage from the great flood of 1936, the Park River was buried in underground conduits, and a main feature of the park was lost.http://www.hogriver.org/issues/v01n01/hog_river_history.htm A pond was later added to return a water feature to the park. Today Bushnell Park is a focal point in downtown Hartford, and it is the site of several festivals and music events each year.