Washington Park (Newark)

Washington Park is a city square in Downtown Newark, New Jersey. It is the northernmost of the three downtown parks, along with Lincoln Park and Military Park, that were laid out in the colonial era.^[1] The triangular park is bounded by Broad Street, Washington Street, and Washington Place at the end of Halsey Street. It is home to several public statues and is surrounded by historical, civic, and commercial buildings, including those of Rutgers-Newark.

Skyline of Washington Park buildings such as IDT, North Reformed Church, 33 Washington St, American Insurance Company Building, Cablevision, 1 Washington Park, and Riverfront Stadium as seen from Passaic River

District

James Street Commons Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Coordinates	40°44′41″N 74°10′14″W / 40.74459°N 74.17067°W
NRHP Reference #	78001758[2]
NJRHP #	1275[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 9, 1978
Designated NJRHP	February 10, 1977

Originally known as the North Common or the Upper Green,^[4] the park is a contributing property to the James Street Commons Historic District and is surrounded by notable landmarks. It forms the northern end of the city's central business district.

The North Reformed Church was built 1857-59 without the use of or iron or steel. The Ballantine House, a National Historic Landmark, built by the brewer of Ballantine beer, John Ballantine, in 1885, It is part of the Newark Museum. The main Newark Public Library was built in 1903. Residential brownstones are found along James Street.

Among the office buildings located in the district are the American Insurance Company Building, One Washington Park, IDT Corporation, 550 Broad Street and 33 Washington Street, and the Cablevision Call Center.

Statues

George Washington taking leave of troops at Rocky Hill.

Several statues and tablets are found in the park.^[1][5]

• Indian and Puritan (1916), is one four public works by Gutzon Borglum in Newark, which also include Seated Lincoln (1911), Wars of America (1926), and a bas-relief, "First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark" (1916).^[5][6] commemorates the meeting of the indigenous population and the Connecticut Puritans who established the city in 1666 and was earlier known as the Bridge Memorial to marks the spot where the river and highway converged that is the site of the original colonial market.^[5]
• A J. Massey Rhind work of the park's namesake, George Washington, depicts the general taking leave from his troops at Rockingham.^[5][7]
• A statue (1927) Christopher Columbus which was made in Rome by Giuseppe Ciochetti and presented to the city by Newark’s Italians in 1927.^[8][9]
• A work by Karl Gerhardt of Seth Boyden, was one of Newark’s leading citizens and captains of industry in the 19th century, was inventor of patent leather and innovation for and train locomotives.^[5][10]

Wednesdays at Washington Park

Since 2009 a weekly green market and outdoor concert is held at the park from June to October.^{[11] [12][13]}

Transportation

The Newark Light Rail Washington Park station runs along the Broad Street side of the park while Riverfront Stadium is across it. The Newark Broad Street Station, served by New Jersey Transit (NJT), is two blocks north. Numerous buses serve Newark and environs, including Newark Liberty International Airport.^[14]

See also

• Triangle Park (Newark)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, New Jersey
• List of tallest buildings in Newark
• List of monuments dedicated to George Washington

References

1. Jean-Rae Turner, Richard T. Koles, Charles F. Cummings (2003), Newark: The Golden Age, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 9780738512143
2. National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
3. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. January 10, 2010. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
4. "Walking Tour 1: Newark History" (PDF). www.newarktours. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
5. Federal Writers' Project (2013), The WPA Guide to New Jersey, Trinity University Press, ISBN 9781595342287, retrieved 3 November 2015
6. Thurlow, Fearn, "Newark's Sculpture: A survey of public monuments and memorial statuary," The Newark Museum Quarterly, Winter 1975, vol. 6, no. 1,
7. http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1A745Y12V7400.3659&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&view=subscriptionsummary&uri=full=3100001~!2984~!32&ri=3&aspect=Browse&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=Outdoor+Sculpture+--+New+Jersey+--+Newark&index=OBJEC&uindex=&aspect=Browse&menu=search&ri=3
8. "Newark - Christopher Columbus Statue in Washington Park". vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
9. "Newark's Christopher Columbus". newarkhistory.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
10. http://www.newarkhistory.com/boyden.html
11. http://www.newarkpulse.com/news/detail/wednesdays-at-washington-park
12. ""WEDNESDAYS AT WASHINGTON PARK" - Glocally Newark". glocallynewark.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
13. "Wednesdays at Washington Park in Newark New Jersey profile at farmers market online". farmersmarketonline.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
14. "New Jersey Transit". njtransit.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.

Coordinates: 40°44′34″N 74°10′18″W / 40.742651°N 74.171779°W