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Washington Park Historic District (Albany, New York)
Encyclopedia
Washington Park in Albany
, New York
is the city's premier park and the site of many festivals and gatherings. As public property it dates back to the city charter in 1686, and has seen many uses including that of gunpowder storage
, square/parade grounds, and cemetery. The park is often mistaken as being designed by Frederick Law Olmsted
, but does incorporate many of the philosophical ideals used by Olmsted when he designed Central Park
in Manhattan
. The park is about 81 acres (32.8 ha) in size with the 5.2 acres (2.1 ha) Washington Park Lake
, a roughly 1600 feet (487.7 m) long and 140 feet (42.7 m) wide lake, in the southwestern corner.
Not only is the park historic, but so is the mostly residential surrounding neighborhood. Many architectural works line the streets facing the park, designed by some of the most famous architects of the late 19th century, including Henry Hobson Richardson
. At least two governors of New York lived in buildings facing Washington Park outside of their term in office. Due to the historical and architectural significance of the park and neighborhood both were included in 1972 as the Washington Park Historic District; and in 1998 the park was named one of the nation's 100 most important parks by the American Association of Architects. In 2008 Boston
-based composer Peter Child
wrote an orchestral piece inspired by the park, entitled Washington Park.
was granted to Albany incorporating it as a city. The charter specified that all land not privately owned at the time became property of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of Albany, including the land that would become the site of Washington Park. A portion of the land was set aside for a structure built to house gunpowder in 1802, and in 1806 the areas between Willett and Knox streets, and between State Street and Madison Avenue, became the Middle Public Square. In 1800, the land west of Knox Street to Robin Street and south from State Street to Hudson Avenue was taken for a cemetery, which was apportioned into sections for each of Albany's churches. There were separate sections for African-Americans and for strangers. West of the cemetery was the alms-house farm and the penitentiary grounds. In 1809 the Middle Public Square was renamed Washington Square, and later the Washington Parade Ground. In 1868 the remains and headstones in the cemetery were removed and reinterred, most to Albany Rural Cemetery
, and some to the cemeteries of other churches.
For years leading up to the creation of the park, the leading citizens and newspapers in Albany had pushed for a grand public park. Frederick Law Olmsted
's Olmsted, Vaux and Company was hired in 1869 to plan such a park. In their plan they envisioned Washington Park as the centerpiece of a string of parks and boulevards similar to those they had designed in Buffalo
, Boston
, and Brooklyn
. Though Olmsted and his company was not involved in the actual design of the park, their broad vision was followed for the detailed designs, including the idea of damming the Beaver Kill
(Beaver Creek) to form a grand lake.
passed a law in 1869 authorizing the creation of a large public park on the spot and the creation of the Board of Trustees of the Washington Park of the City of Albany (later Commissioners). John Bogart
and John Cuyler drew the plans for Washington Park in 1870. Bogart had worked for Olmsted and Vaux on Central Park
in New York
and later Bogart was the chief engineer for the New York City Department of Parks from 1872-7. From 1869 to 1872 R.H. Bingham was the chief engineer in charge of the drafting of the plans and the supervision of construction, after 1872 his assistant William S. Egerton took charge. It was under Egerton that the formal garden settings were planted.
Work on the Washington Parade Grounds between Willett and Knox streets was begun in July 1870 and finished by the end of the year. During 1871 the former cemetery was landscaped and that area reopened as part of the park. The section of Washington Park between Lexington (formerly Snipe) and Robin streets was the focus of work in 1873, including the damming of the Beaverkill to form Washington Park Lake
. In 1874 focus shifted to roughly 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) along Madison Avenue from Lake to Robin and a footbridge was built over the lake in 1875. Nine acres of mostly row houses along Knox Street north of Madison were purchased, destroyed, and landscaped in 1880; this included the area that would be the site of the King Memorial Fountain. The large house and landscaped grounds of John Taylor was the last part of the park to be purchased, in 1882, since 1889 it has been the site of tennis courts. The northwestern corner that is cut out of the park's otherwise rectangular shape was never part of the park; those plots were mostly owned by the Barnes family and developed into urban mansions facing Thurlow Terrace and Englewood Place. The process of buying and improving the land piecemeal was criticized because each improvement raised the value of the existing land that still needed to be purchased. The increase in property value can be shown through the value of the lands surrounding Washington Park almost doubling in the six years in which the majority of the park improvements were made; from $2,696,688 in 1869 to $4,843,440 in 1875. The properties next to Washington Park on Robin Street, which was renamed Englewood Terrace, increased in value from $9,500 in 1875 to $175,800 by 1891.
The Commissioners were given by the state additional powers to build and maintain approaches to the park and other parks as well, this allowed the commissioners to build a series of boulevards around the city. Western Avenue from the northwestern corner of Washington Park to the location of the toll gate of the Western Turnpike was under the purview of the commissioners. Work on the road began in late 1876 and was finished the next year. The total construction cost of the park, including purchasing the real estate and improving Western Avenue, was $1,073,020.91. In 1878 Northern Boulevard (today Manning Boulevard) was constructed by the commissioners, it extended from the western end of their jurisdiction on Western Avenue north and east to the intersection of Clinton
and Central avenues. In 1896 the state legislature also gave the commissioners authority over Lake Avenue from the park corner at Madison Avenue south to New Scotland Avenue (then- Albany, Schoharie, and Rensselaerville Plank Road). In addition to boulevards the Commissioners of Washington Park also gained control of other existing parks, and built new ones throughout the city, including Academy Park, Bleeker Park, Hudson Avenue Park, Clinton Square, Rensselaer Park, St. Joseph's Park, Townsend Park
, Beaver Park (later Lincoln Park
), and the former grounds of the Dudley Observatory
. In 1900 the board of commissioners was transformed into the Bureau of Parks in the Department of Public Works and later the bureau became a separate department.
held in Albany by Benjamin Franklin
that proposed closer ties and support among the Thirteen Colonies
. In 1991 Northern Boulevard from its intersection with Madison Avenue and Willett Street north through the park and continuing to Livingston Avenue in Arbor Hill was renamed Henry Johnson Boulevard in honor of African-American World War I
hero Henry Johnson
.
In the 1950s Dutch elm disease
(Ceratocystis ulmi) killed off all the elms that once populated the park and crab apples were planted to replace the elms along the pedestrian mall. After deteriorating over the decades Washington Park saw a revival in the 1990s and 2000s with the flower beds being restored to their original specifications, the pedestrian mall removed of pavement and widened to its original dimensions with disease-resistant elms planted to form a canopy, the King Fountain relit at night, and the lilac shrub border around the periphery of the park being restored.
, wellhouse, croquet shelter, and lakehouse once dotted the landscape. The wooden lake house was replaced in 1929 with a "modern" brick structure while the others over time succumbed to age and changing use-patterns for the park and no longer stand. The footbridge over Washington Park Lake is the only remaining original structure in Washington Park; erected over the lake in 1875 the lamps on the bridge were originally gas burning but were electrified in 1881.
The current Washington Park Lake House was built in 1929 replacing the original stick style structure constructed in 1876. It is constructed in the Spanish Revival style with terracotta, terrazzo
, brick, and guastavino tile
. The area in front of the lake house has been the site for the performance of plays by the Park Playhouse for over 20 years. A 900 seat amphitheater faces the lake house allowing for comfortable seating for the over 60,000 people who visit every year. A proposal by the city to turn the lake house into a 125 seat restaurant and 200 seat banquet hall with an expanded dock with boat, cross-country ski, and ice skate rentals failed to materialize due to a lack of interest from the private business sector.
, and badminton
games. Tennis
, basketball
, and handball
courts are maintained by the city in the park, and ice skating
is permitted on Washington Park Lake, though swimming is prohibited. Bicycling is popular on the many roadways, many of which are closed to vehicular traffic. Though skateboarding is legal throughout the park itself, the monuments and ball courts in the park fall under a city-wide ban on skateboarding on public monuments, statues, and tennis/basketball courts.
Washington Park is the site of many festivals, concerts, and special occasions. The Tulip Festival
held every year since 1949 in Washington Park is highlighted by the blossoming of 200,000 tulips throughout the park. The African-American tradition of Pinkster
fest, whose origins are traced back even further to Dutch festivities, was later incorporated into the Tulip Fest and since 1998 the Tulip Fest has also included the Mother of the Year award. The Latin Festival and the Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival are some of the ethnic festivals held every year in the park. The city, the Albany Police Athletic League, and Hannaford
supermarkets sponsor the Capital Holiday Lights every winter, with 125 displays through the park. Proceeds benefit juvenile crime prevention programs.
Many fund raisers are held every year in the park as well, such as the American Cancer Society
walkathon and the Freihofer's Run for Women
. The Freihofer's Run is an International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) Silver Label
race that draws professional marathon runners from Kenya
, Ethiopia
, Australia
, and all across the United States
along with locals as well. It is one of the largest all-women races in the world, and has served as the 5K national championship in 1989, 1990, and 1993-2004.
s sit on State Street facing the park, most are of brick or brownstone
and three stories tall. Many of these homes were built for industrialists, bankers, railroad executives, and politicians by notable national architects such as Henry Hobson Richardson
and Stanford White
, and local ones such as Marcus T. Reynolds and Albert Fuller. Many of the buildings have fine details such as decorative tiles, terracotta, or stone. On the corner of State and Willett is located the First Presbyterian Church, designed by J. Cleveland Cady in 1882, and the church is noted for its four Tiffany windows. New York Governor John Alden Dix
lived at 491 State Street before and after his term in office. 423 State Street is owned by the University at Albany and used by its Center for Legislative Development. At 465 State Street is the Benjamin Walworth Arnold House and Carriage House
, designed by Stanford White
.
, Spanish Revival, Classical revival, Georgian
, Romanesque
, Italianate, and brownstones. Two larger apartment buildings, built in 1909 and 1927, break up the otherwise continuous row of older townhouses. One of those apartment buildings is the Willett, formerly the Wareham, a five-story building built in 1909 that spans 84–92 Willett Street. This building sits on a former site of the New York State Normal College, predecessor to the University at Albany, which burned in 1906. The oldest building on Willett to maintain its original facade, 22 Willett, was built in 1872. Nearby 28 Willett Street was the home of Martin Glynn, an owner and publisher of the Albany Times Union, a state comptroller, and the governor of New York from 1913 to 1914. Glynn was the first Catholic
New York governor and the only longtime Albany resident to reach that position.
Annex.
. The Elouise Apartments were built in 1927 in the Classical Revival architecture style and are eight stories tall. 55 South Lake Avenue is in the Art Deco
style, while 57 to 87 South Lake, built in 1896-7 is a row of yellow brick facades designed by Albert Fuller.
Englewood Place was a part of Robin Street until receiving its current name in the 1870s; it was laid out in lots in 1879, with large mansions and carriage houses built between 1879 and 1887. 5 and 7 Englewood Place were designed by Robert Gibson, who also designed the All Saints Cathedral. 5 Englewood Place became the residence of the University at Albany's president after 1997. Thurlow Terrace was developed a decade after Englewood. 8 Thurlow Terrace was the residence of the Albany Catholic
bishops until 1957. From 1958–72 the State University of New York
owned 7, 8, 9, and 10 Thurlow Terrace as their central administration, prior to moving to One Commerce Plaza
.
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
is the city's premier park and the site of many festivals and gatherings. As public property it dates back to the city charter in 1686, and has seen many uses including that of gunpowder storage
Gunpowder magazine
A gunpowder magazine is a magazine designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications required storage magazines...
, square/parade grounds, and cemetery. The park is often mistaken as being designed by 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...
, but does incorporate many of the philosophical ideals used by Olmsted when he designed 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...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The park is about 81 acres (32.8 ha) in size with the 5.2 acres (2.1 ha) Washington Park Lake
Washington Park Lake
Washington Park Lake is a body of water in Albany, New York located in the southwestern corner of Washington Park. It has a surface area of and a mean depth of . The deepest sections of the lake are just over deep. The lake is roughly long and wide. Next to the lake is the Washington Park...
, a roughly 1600 feet (487.7 m) long and 140 feet (42.7 m) wide lake, in the southwestern corner.
Not only is the park historic, but so is the mostly residential surrounding neighborhood. Many architectural works line the streets facing the park, designed by some of the most famous architects of the late 19th century, including Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
. At least two governors of New York lived in buildings facing Washington Park outside of their term in office. Due to the historical and architectural significance of the park and neighborhood both were included in 1972 as the Washington Park Historic District; and in 1998 the park was named one of the nation's 100 most important parks by the American Association of Architects. In 2008 Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based composer Peter Child
Peter Child
Peter Burlingham Child is an American composer, teacher, and musical analyst. He is Professor of Music at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a composer in residence with the New England Philharmonic....
wrote an orchestral piece inspired by the park, entitled Washington Park.
Cemetery and parade grounds
Washington Park has been public property since the Dongan CharterDongan Charter
The Dongan Charter is the 1686 document incorporating Albany, New York as a city. Albany's charter was issued by Governor Thomas Dongan of the Province of New York, a few months after Governor Dongan issued a similarly worded, but less detailed charter for the city of New York. The city of Albany...
was granted to Albany incorporating it as a city. The charter specified that all land not privately owned at the time became property of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of Albany, including the land that would become the site of Washington Park. A portion of the land was set aside for a structure built to house gunpowder in 1802, and in 1806 the areas between Willett and Knox streets, and between State Street and Madison Avenue, became the Middle Public Square. In 1800, the land west of Knox Street to Robin Street and south from State Street to Hudson Avenue was taken for a cemetery, which was apportioned into sections for each of Albany's churches. There were separate sections for African-Americans and for strangers. West of the cemetery was the alms-house farm and the penitentiary grounds. In 1809 the Middle Public Square was renamed Washington Square, and later the Washington Parade Ground. In 1868 the remains and headstones in the cemetery were removed and reinterred, most to Albany Rural Cemetery
Albany Rural Cemetery
The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, just outside of the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the United States, at over . Many historical American figures are buried there.-History:On April 2,...
, and some to the cemeteries of other churches.
For years leading up to the creation of the park, the leading citizens and newspapers in Albany had pushed for a grand public park. 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...
's Olmsted, Vaux and Company was hired in 1869 to plan such a park. In their plan they envisioned Washington Park as the centerpiece of a string of parks and boulevards similar to those they had designed in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. Though Olmsted and his company was not involved in the actual design of the park, their broad vision was followed for the detailed designs, including the idea of damming the Beaver Kill
Kill (body of water)
As a body of water, a kill is a creek. The word comes from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel." The modern Dutch term is kil....
(Beaver Creek) to form a grand lake.
Construction of the park
The New York LegislatureNew York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
passed a law in 1869 authorizing the creation of a large public park on the spot and the creation of the Board of Trustees of the Washington Park of the City of Albany (later Commissioners). John Bogart
John Bogart
John Bogart was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1888 to 1891.-Life:...
and John Cuyler drew the plans for Washington Park in 1870. Bogart had worked for Olmsted and Vaux on 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...
in New York
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...
and later Bogart was the chief engineer for the New York City Department of Parks from 1872-7. From 1869 to 1872 R.H. Bingham was the chief engineer in charge of the drafting of the plans and the supervision of construction, after 1872 his assistant William S. Egerton took charge. It was under Egerton that the formal garden settings were planted.
Work on the Washington Parade Grounds between Willett and Knox streets was begun in July 1870 and finished by the end of the year. During 1871 the former cemetery was landscaped and that area reopened as part of the park. The section of Washington Park between Lexington (formerly Snipe) and Robin streets was the focus of work in 1873, including the damming of the Beaverkill to form Washington Park Lake
Washington Park Lake
Washington Park Lake is a body of water in Albany, New York located in the southwestern corner of Washington Park. It has a surface area of and a mean depth of . The deepest sections of the lake are just over deep. The lake is roughly long and wide. Next to the lake is the Washington Park...
. In 1874 focus shifted to roughly 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) along Madison Avenue from Lake to Robin and a footbridge was built over the lake in 1875. Nine acres of mostly row houses along Knox Street north of Madison were purchased, destroyed, and landscaped in 1880; this included the area that would be the site of the King Memorial Fountain. The large house and landscaped grounds of John Taylor was the last part of the park to be purchased, in 1882, since 1889 it has been the site of tennis courts. The northwestern corner that is cut out of the park's otherwise rectangular shape was never part of the park; those plots were mostly owned by the Barnes family and developed into urban mansions facing Thurlow Terrace and Englewood Place. The process of buying and improving the land piecemeal was criticized because each improvement raised the value of the existing land that still needed to be purchased. The increase in property value can be shown through the value of the lands surrounding Washington Park almost doubling in the six years in which the majority of the park improvements were made; from $2,696,688 in 1869 to $4,843,440 in 1875. The properties next to Washington Park on Robin Street, which was renamed Englewood Terrace, increased in value from $9,500 in 1875 to $175,800 by 1891.
The Commissioners were given by the state additional powers to build and maintain approaches to the park and other parks as well, this allowed the commissioners to build a series of boulevards around the city. Western Avenue from the northwestern corner of Washington Park to the location of the toll gate of the Western Turnpike was under the purview of the commissioners. Work on the road began in late 1876 and was finished the next year. The total construction cost of the park, including purchasing the real estate and improving Western Avenue, was $1,073,020.91. In 1878 Northern Boulevard (today Manning Boulevard) was constructed by the commissioners, it extended from the western end of their jurisdiction on Western Avenue north and east to the intersection of Clinton
Clinton Avenue Historic District (Albany, New York)
The Clinton Avenue Historic District in Albany, New York, United States, is a area along that street between North Pearl and Quail streets. It also includes some blocks along neighboring streets such as Lark and Lexington....
and Central avenues. In 1896 the state legislature also gave the commissioners authority over Lake Avenue from the park corner at Madison Avenue south to New Scotland Avenue (then- Albany, Schoharie, and Rensselaerville Plank Road). In addition to boulevards the Commissioners of Washington Park also gained control of other existing parks, and built new ones throughout the city, including Academy Park, Bleeker Park, Hudson Avenue Park, Clinton Square, Rensselaer Park, St. Joseph's Park, Townsend Park
Townsend Park
Townsend Park is a small urban park in Albany, New York. It encompasses a triangle of land formed by the Y-intersection of Central and Washington avenues , with the third border formed by Henry Johnson Boulevard....
, Beaver Park (later Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park (Albany)
Lincoln Park is an urban park in Albany, New York, with a unique history, from being the site of a skirmish in 1626 between the Dutch and Mohawks to brickyards and breweries to being Albany's first public playground. The park features Albany's only outdoor non-wading swimming pool, along with...
), and the former grounds of the Dudley Observatory
Dudley Observatory
Dudley Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Along with Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany Law School, Albany Medical College, the Graduate College of Union University, and Union College, it is one of the constituent entities of Union...
. In 1900 the board of commissioners was transformed into the Bureau of Parks in the Department of Public Works and later the bureau became a separate department.
Modern times
In 1958 Lancaster Street, which had previously ended at Willett Street opposite the park, was extended through to Northern Boulevard (today Henry Johnson Boulevard). Associated with this extension Northern Boulevard was also widened and both Lancaster and State streets were turned into one-ways. Entrances to Washington Park from Thurlow Terrace and Englewood Place were closed in 1972 turning those into dead end streets from Western Avenue. In 1988 Washington Park Road was renamed Albany Plan of Union Avenue in honor of the colonial congressAlbany Congress
The Albany Congress, also known as the Albany Conference and "The Conference of Albany" or "The Conference in Albany", was a meeting of representatives from seven of the thirteen British North American colonies in 1754...
held in Albany by Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
that proposed closer ties and support among the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
. In 1991 Northern Boulevard from its intersection with Madison Avenue and Willett Street north through the park and continuing to Livingston Avenue in Arbor Hill was renamed Henry Johnson Boulevard in honor of African-American World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
hero Henry Johnson
Henry Lincoln Johnson
Henry Lincoln Johnson was an African-American soldier, and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, and the French Croix de Guerre.-Biography:...
.
In the 1950s Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
(Ceratocystis ulmi) killed off all the elms that once populated the park and crab apples were planted to replace the elms along the pedestrian mall. After deteriorating over the decades Washington Park saw a revival in the 1990s and 2000s with the flower beds being restored to their original specifications, the pedestrian mall removed of pavement and widened to its original dimensions with disease-resistant elms planted to form a canopy, the King Fountain relit at night, and the lilac shrub border around the periphery of the park being restored.
Structures
Originally Washington Park included many buildings: several shelters of untrimmed logs, a pavilionPavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
, wellhouse, croquet shelter, and lakehouse once dotted the landscape. The wooden lake house was replaced in 1929 with a "modern" brick structure while the others over time succumbed to age and changing use-patterns for the park and no longer stand. The footbridge over Washington Park Lake is the only remaining original structure in Washington Park; erected over the lake in 1875 the lamps on the bridge were originally gas burning but were electrified in 1881.
The current Washington Park Lake House was built in 1929 replacing the original stick style structure constructed in 1876. It is constructed in the Spanish Revival style with terracotta, terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
, brick, and guastavino tile
Guastavino tile
Guastavino tile is the "Tile Arch System" patented in the US in 1885 by Valencian architect and builder Rafael Guastavino...
. The area in front of the lake house has been the site for the performance of plays by the Park Playhouse for over 20 years. A 900 seat amphitheater faces the lake house allowing for comfortable seating for the over 60,000 people who visit every year. A proposal by the city to turn the lake house into a 125 seat restaurant and 200 seat banquet hall with an expanded dock with boat, cross-country ski, and ice skate rentals failed to materialize due to a lack of interest from the private business sector.
Monuments
- Dr. James H. Armsby Memorial is a bust of James H. Armsby, the co-founder of Albany Medical CollegeAlbany Medical CollegeAlbany Medical College is a medical school located in Albany, New York, United States. It was founded in 1839 by Amos Dean, Dr. Thomas Hun and others, and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation...
. Erected in 1879, it was the first memorial in the park. - Robert Burns Statue is a bronze statue erected in 1888, with four panels around the base installed in 1891. It is of the famous Scottish poet Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, his statue was sculpted by Charles Calverley and each of the four panels around the base have one of Burns' poems carved by George H. Boughton. The Saint Andrew's SocietySaint Andrew's SocietyThe Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is the oldest charitable institution in the state of New York. The organization was founded in 1756 by Scotsmen in New York City who were looking to "relieve the distrssed." It was named for the patron saint of Scotland, Saint Andrew...
funded conservation of the statue in 1978. - King Memorial Fountain is a fountain erected in 1893 with a monumental bronze statue of MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
smiting the rock for water on Mount HorebMount HorebMount Horeb, Hebrew: , Greek in the Septuagint: , Latin in the Vulgate: , is the mountain at which the book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God. It is described in two places as the Mountain of God or perhaps Mountain of the gods...
. Four figures of IsraeliteIsraeliteAccording to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
slaves around the statue on the side of the mountain represent the four stages of life: infancy, youth, adulthood, and old age. The fountain is in the center of formal gardens laid out by William S. Egerton. It was a gift from Rufus H. KingRufus H. KingRufus H. King was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Rensselaerville, New York, King completed preparatory studies and was graduated from Wesleyan University. He studied law...
and was sculpted by J. Massey RhindJ. Massey RhindJohn 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...
, who also sculpted the Philip SchuylerPhilip SchuylerPhilip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
statue that stands at the center of the intersection of Eagle Street and Washington Avenue in front of city hallAlbany City HallAlbany City Hall is the seat of government of the city of Albany, New York. It houses the office of the mayor, the Common Council chamber, the city and traffic courts, as well as other city services. The current building was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in his particular Romanesque style and...
. In 1988, the statue of Moses was cleaned and applied with a wax coating to protect it from the weather, and an arm was reattached to one of the four other statues on the fountain. - Marinus Willett Memorial is a monument to Colonel Marinus WillettMarinus WillettMarinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
commemorating his combat and character during the French and Indian WarsFrench and Indian WarsThe French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
. It consists of a 33000 pounds (14,968.5 kg) boulder from the "scenes of conflict" he fought in, and the plaque is dedicated to his "patriotic services in defense of Albany and the people of the Mohawk". The boulder was placed by the Sons of the American RevolutionSons of the American RevolutionThe National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States...
in 1907, facing towards an entrance to the park from the corner of State and Willett streets, an entrance that no longer exists. The boulder's back faced Henry Johnson Boulevard (formerly Northern Boulevard) and was the scene of many vehicular accidents as drivers missed a sharp curve. In 2006, as part of the 200th anniversary of the park, the boulder was moved 60 yards (54.9 m) to the corner of State and Willett. - Soldiers and Sailors' Monument is a marble monument sitting on a granite base with a bronze statue representing the Nation, holding the palms of victory. The monument is built of Tennessee marble above the seat and the remainder is of Stony Creek granite. It is 22 feet (6.7 m) high, 21 feet (6.4 m) long and 5.5 feet (1.7 m) deep, surrounded by a seat, the whole resting upon a platform 70 feet (21.3 m) long by 64 feet (19.5 m) deep. It sits at the Henry Johnson Boulevard entrance from State Street to the park. The monument represents "The Nation at Peace Won Through Victorious War". It was finished in 1911 by American Sculptor Hermon A. MacNeil and erected in 1912 by the Grand Army of the RepublicGrand Army of the RepublicThe Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
as a monument to Civil War veterans. The monument was restored in 1986 and renamed the Albany Veterans Memorial Monument with an unveiling by two 85-year-old women who, as 12-year-olds, had unveiled the monument when it was first erected in 1912. - Henry Johnson Memorial is a bust of World War I hero Henry Johnson in a traffic island at the intersection of Henry Johnson Boulevard and Willett Street near Madison Avenue, erected in 1991.
Activities
Washington Park has many activities open to visitors and residents, some maintained by the city, others are spontaneously set up by individuals. Washington Park's open spaces are often used by visitors to play boccie, volleyballVolleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
games. Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and handball
American handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
courts are maintained by the city in the park, and ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
is permitted on Washington Park Lake, though swimming is prohibited. Bicycling is popular on the many roadways, many of which are closed to vehicular traffic. Though skateboarding is legal throughout the park itself, the monuments and ball courts in the park fall under a city-wide ban on skateboarding on public monuments, statues, and tennis/basketball courts.
Washington Park is the site of many festivals, concerts, and special occasions. The Tulip Festival
Tulip Festival (Albany, New York)
The Tulip Festival, also known as TulipFest, is held in Albany, New York every spring at Washington Park. The tradition stems from when Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd got a city ordinance passed declaring the tulip as Albany's official flower on July 1, 1948. In addition, he sent a request to Queen...
held every year since 1949 in Washington Park is highlighted by the blossoming of 200,000 tulips throughout the park. The African-American tradition of Pinkster
Pinkster
Pinkster is a spring festival, taking place in late May or early June. The name is a variation of the Dutch word Pinksteren, meaning "Pentecost". Pinkster in English almost always refers to the festivals held by African Americans in the Northeastern United States, particularly in the early 19th...
fest, whose origins are traced back even further to Dutch festivities, was later incorporated into the Tulip Fest and since 1998 the Tulip Fest has also included the Mother of the Year award. The Latin Festival and the Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival are some of the ethnic festivals held every year in the park. The city, the Albany Police Athletic League, and Hannaford
Hannaford Bros. Co.
Hannaford is an American supermarket chain based in Scarborough, Maine. Founded in 1883, Hannaford now operates stores in New England and upstate New York. Formerly known as Shop 'N' Save, Hannaford is owned by the American subsidiary of the Belgian Delhaize Group, Delhaize America, which owns over...
supermarkets sponsor the Capital Holiday Lights every winter, with 125 displays through the park. Proceeds benefit juvenile crime prevention programs.
Many fund raisers are held every year in the park as well, such as the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
walkathon and the Freihofer's Run for Women
Freihofer's Run for Women
Freihofer's Run for Women is an annual five-kilometer road running competition for women that is usually held in late May or early June in Albany, New York, United States. First held in 1979, the race has grown into a sizable event that holds IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had 3,927...
. The Freihofer's Run is an International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
(IAAF) Silver Label
IAAF Road Race Label Events
IAAF Road Race Label Events are annual running competitions which have been granted recognition by the International Association of Athletics Federations as being among the foremost competitions of their type...
race that draws professional marathon runners from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and all across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
along with locals as well. It is one of the largest all-women races in the world, and has served as the 5K national championship in 1989, 1990, and 1993-2004.
Historic district
The streets surrounding Washington Park, State Street to the north, Willett Street to the east, Madison Street to the south, and South Lake Avenue to the west, along with Englewood Terrace, Thurlow Place, and the residence at 76 Western Avenue to the northwest, are all included in the Washington Park Historic District. Most of the existing properties date to after the 1880s, with very few predating the creation of the park.State Street
State Street is a one-way eastbound street along Washington Park's northern border. Over 60 townhouseTownhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s sit on State Street facing the park, most are of brick or brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
and three stories tall. Many of these homes were built for industrialists, bankers, railroad executives, and politicians by notable national architects such as Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
and Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
, and local ones such as Marcus T. Reynolds and Albert Fuller. Many of the buildings have fine details such as decorative tiles, terracotta, or stone. On the corner of State and Willett is located the First Presbyterian Church, designed by J. Cleveland Cady in 1882, and the church is noted for its four Tiffany windows. New York Governor John Alden Dix
John Alden Dix
John Alden Dix was the 38th Governor of New York from January 1911 to December 1912.-Life:Born in Glens Falls, Warren County, New York, Dix attended Cornell University, but never graduated. He was an initiated member of the Beta Charge of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity...
lived at 491 State Street before and after his term in office. 423 State Street is owned by the University at Albany and used by its Center for Legislative Development. At 465 State Street is the Benjamin Walworth Arnold House and Carriage House
Benjamin Walworth Arnold House and Carriage House
The Benjamin Walworth Arnold House and Carriage House are located on State Street and Washington Avenue in Albany, New York, United States. They are brick structures dating to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1972 they were included as a contributing property to the Washington Park Historic...
, designed by Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
.
Willett Street
Willet Street is a northbound one-way street comprising three blocks, stretching from the southeastern corner of the park at the intersection with Madison Avenue to the northeastern corner with State Street. All of Willett Street is in the historic district, including approximately 33 buildings. The street is entirely residential except for the First Presbyterian Church, built in 1883 on the corner with State Street. Willett Street has many different styles including Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
, Spanish Revival, Classical revival, Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, Romanesque
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
, Italianate, and brownstones. Two larger apartment buildings, built in 1909 and 1927, break up the otherwise continuous row of older townhouses. One of those apartment buildings is the Willett, formerly the Wareham, a five-story building built in 1909 that spans 84–92 Willett Street. This building sits on a former site of the New York State Normal College, predecessor to the University at Albany, which burned in 1906. The oldest building on Willett to maintain its original facade, 22 Willett, was built in 1872. Nearby 28 Willett Street was the home of Martin Glynn, an owner and publisher of the Albany Times Union, a state comptroller, and the governor of New York from 1913 to 1914. Glynn was the first Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
New York governor and the only longtime Albany resident to reach that position.
Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue is designated as US Route 20, and at four lanes wide it is the busiest street in the district. Roughly 90 buildings on Madison Avenue face the park. East of the intersection with Robin Street, Madison is more urban with 19th century rowhouses; west of Robin Street is dominated by large detached residences, many of which have been converted to medical offices. A few buildings, such as 694 and 710 Madison predate park improvements that occurred across the street at the Taylor property, which later became basketball and tennis courts. 682 Madison was formerly the home of the Academy of Holy Names. It is currently administrative offices for the Albany Medical CenterAlbany Medical Center
Albany Medical Center is the name of the umbrella organization over the Albany Medical Center Hospital and Albany Medical College in Albany, New York...
Annex.
South Lake Avenue
South Lake Avenue facing Washington Park consists of 23 rowhouses, a modern apartment building, and a converted carriage houseCarriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
. The Elouise Apartments were built in 1927 in the Classical Revival architecture style and are eight stories tall. 55 South Lake Avenue is in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, while 57 to 87 South Lake, built in 1896-7 is a row of yellow brick facades designed by Albert Fuller.
Englewood Place and Thurlow Terrace
Englewood Place and Thurlow Terrace were constructed by the Commissioners of Washington Park and maintained by them for some time, with half the maintenance cost assessed on the private property facing the street. Restrictions were placed to prevent fences and unwelcome uses to preserve a park-like appearance.Englewood Place was a part of Robin Street until receiving its current name in the 1870s; it was laid out in lots in 1879, with large mansions and carriage houses built between 1879 and 1887. 5 and 7 Englewood Place were designed by Robert Gibson, who also designed the All Saints Cathedral. 5 Englewood Place became the residence of the University at Albany's president after 1997. Thurlow Terrace was developed a decade after Englewood. 8 Thurlow Terrace was the residence of the Albany Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
bishops until 1957. From 1958–72 the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
owned 7, 8, 9, and 10 Thurlow Terrace as their central administration, prior to moving to One Commerce Plaza
One Commerce Plaza
One Commerce Plaza, also known as the Twin Towers, is a private office building located on Washington Avenue in downtown Albany, New York. At 20 floors and 270 feet , it is the twelfth tallest structure in Albany....
.
Further reading
- NY Times article on the unveiling of the King Fountain
- Collyer, Robert (1889), Sketch of the Burns Statue, the McPherson Legacy to the City of Albany, Weed, Parsons & Co.