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 historic civic and commercial buildings.

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 in 2015

District
James Street Commons Historic District
Coordinates40.74459°N 74.17067°W / 40.74459; -74.17067
NRHP reference No.78001758[2]
NJRHP No.1275[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 9, 1978
Designated NJRHPFebruary 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 in 1857-59 without the use of ore, iron, or steel. The Ballantine House, a National Historic Landmark, was 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, 33 Washington Street, and the Cablevision Call Center. Several facilities of Rutgers-Newark and the headquarters of Audible are on the park.[5]

Statues
George Washington taking leave of troops at Rocky Hill.
Columbus statue removed in June 2020

Several statues and tablets are in the park.[1][6]

Wednesdays at Washington Park

Since 2009 a weekly green market and outdoor concert is held at the park from June to October.[15][16][17]

Transportation

The Newark Light Rail Washington Park station lies along the Broad Street side of the park. Riverfront Stadium station is a block away. 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.[18]

See also

References
  1. Jean-Rae Turner, Richard T. Koles, Charles F. Cummings (2003), Newark: The Golden Age, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 9780738512143CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  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. NJ.com, Dan Ivers | NJ Advance Media for (2016-01-11). "Audible to expand operation into historic Newark church". nj. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  6. Federal Writers' Project (2013), The WPA Guide to New Jersey, Trinity University Press, ISBN 9781595342287, retrieved 3 November 2015
  7. Thurlow, Fearn, "Newark's Sculpture: A survey of public monuments and memorial statuary," The Newark Museum Quarterly, Winter 1975, vol. 6, no. 1,
  8. George Washington, (sculpture).
  9. "Newark - Christopher Columbus Statue in Washington Park". vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  10. "Newark's Christopher Columbus". newarkhistory.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  11. "Newark - Christopher Columbus Statue in Washington Park". statues.vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  12. NJ.com, Rebecca Panico | NJ Advance Media for (2020-06-26). "Another Christopher Columbus statue removed from N.J. city park". nj. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  13. NJ.com, Rebecca Panico | NJ Advance Media for (2020-06-26). "Another Christopher Columbus statue removed from N.J. city park". nj. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  14. "Seth Boyden Statue". www.newarkhistory.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  15. "Wednesdays at Washington Park". www.newarkpulse.com. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  16. ""WEDNESDAYS AT WASHINGTON PARK" - Glocally Newark". glocallynewark.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  17. "Wednesdays at Washington Park in Newark New Jersey profile at farmers market online". farmersmarketonline.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  18. "New Jersey Transit". njtransit.com. Retrieved 3 November 2015.

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