Reservoir Park (Harrisburg)
Encyclopedia
Reservoir Park is the largest municipal public park in Harrisburg
, Pennsylvania
, and occupies approximately 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) in the Allison Hill
neighborhood of the city. Reservoir Park is also home to the National Civil War Museum
and provides the setting for many of Harrisburg's most popular outdoor festivals and performances. The park is part of the Capital Area Greenbelt
, a 20 miles (32.2 km) greenway
surrounding portions of the city.
, the Susquehanna River
valley and the Blue Mountains
and, in 1890, officially established the area around the reservoir as a park. The park is the highest point in the city. It contains one underground thirty million gallon reservoir, and two 6 million gallon above ground reservoirs, which gravity-feed freshwater to the city’s water system.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and occupies approximately 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) in the Allison Hill
Allison Hill (Harrisburg)
Allison Hill is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located directly east of downtown Harrisburg on a bluff overlooking the older original borough along the Susquehanna River...
neighborhood of the city. Reservoir Park is also home to the National Civil War Museum
National Civil War Museum
The National Civil War Museum, located at One Lincoln Circle at Reservoir Park in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a permanent, nonprofit educational institution created to promote the preservation of material culture and sources of information that are directly relevant to the American Civil War of...
and provides the setting for many of Harrisburg's most popular outdoor festivals and performances. The park is part of the Capital Area Greenbelt
Capital Area Greenbelt
The Capital Area Greenbelt is a long green belt around urbanized portions of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, linking many city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces. For several miles, between Shipoke and Uptown, the Greenbelt follows the east bank of the Susquehanna River...
, a 20 miles (32.2 km) greenway
Greenway
-People:* Barney Greenway , British death metal vocalist* Brian Greenway , Canadian guitarist and vocalist* Chad Greenway , American football player* Francis Greenway , Australian architect...
surrounding portions of the city.
History
The original portion of the park dates to 1845. In 1872, a reservoir for the City of Harrisburg was built in an undeveloped area outside the city limits, then called Prospect Hill (now Allison Hill). City leaders recognized the spot as a wonderful vantage point to view the State CapitolPennsylvania State Capitol
The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is in downtown Harrisburg. It was designed in 1902 in a Beaux-Arts style with Renaissance themes throughout...
, the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
valley and the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
and, in 1890, officially established the area around the reservoir as a park. The park is the highest point in the city. It contains one underground thirty million gallon reservoir, and two 6 million gallon above ground reservoirs, which gravity-feed freshwater to the city’s water system.