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Forest Park (Springfield, Massachusetts)

December 27, 2022

This article is about the municipal park. For the adjoining neighborhood, see Forest Park, Springfield, Massachusetts.

Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, is one of the largest urban, municipal parks in the United States, covering 735 acres (297 ha) of land overlooking the Connecticut River. Forest Park features a zoo, aquatic gardens, and outdoor amphitheater, in addition to design elements like winding wooded trails, and surprising, expansive views.[1][2][3][4] The site of America's first public, municipal swimming pool, currently, during the holiday months Forest Park hosts a popular high-tech lighting display, known as Bright Nights.[5][6][7] Contrary to popular belief, the park was not designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

Forest Park
Laurel Hill and Aquatic Gardens
LocationSpringfield, Massachusetts in Massachusetts, United States
Area736 acres (2.98 km2)
Created1884 (1884)
Operated bySpringfield Parks Department

History

 
Orick Herman Greenleaf

In 1884, Springfielder Orick H. Greenleaf offered 65 acres (26 ha) for the establishment of a park to be named Forest Park. Shortly after, approximately 178 acres (72 ha) were donated by wealthy philanthropist Everett Hosmer Barney. Barney made his fortune as a Civil War arms producer and later as a businessman, inventing clamp-on ice skates and rollerskates.[8][9]

 
Everett Hosmer Barney

In 1890 Barney built an elaborate, turreted 2+1⁄2-story Victorian mansion on a hill at the west end of his estate, which featured a spectacular view of the Connecticut River and Metro Center Springfield. The mansion's elaborate carriage house still stands, today serving as a restaurant and banquet hall in Forest Park.[10]

To create the parcel of land on which Forest Park was built, Greenleaf and Barney convinced several of their wealthy friends and neighbors to donate much of the remaining land that would ultimately make-up the 735-acre Forest Park. They both became members of the Board of Park Commissioners, which also listed John Olmsted (resigned on March 1, 1886).[11] At the time, much of this land was located in the neighboring suburb of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, (which had separated from Springfield nearly a century before the construction of Forest Park.) [12] Ultimately, Longmeadow ceded complete control of Forest Park to the City of Springfield.[13] In October 2017, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that the state would assume the $3 million costs to repair a culvert at the main entrance of the park.[14]

Interstate 91

The Barney Mansion was used for Forest Park events until the mid-1950s, when about 50 acres (20 ha) of the park, including 15 acres (6.1 ha) of the former Barney estate, were taken to construct the Springfield/Longmeadow sections of Interstate 91. Barney's house stood atop the hill at the northwest corner of the park, and the highway construction may have threatened its foundations; anticipating that, it was razed. Ultimately, the construction of I-91 severed the Forest Park's connection to the Connecticut River.

The Barney Mansion's stained glass windows were moved to a house in Palmer, Massachusetts where the demolition contractor lived at the time. The mausoleum of Barney's son and a carriage house still survive from the estate, along with many remnants of an extensive arboretum and water gardens planted by Barney around 1900. The developer of the Forest Park neighborhood [1] continued this theme by planting many specimen trees, especially around Magnolia Terrace. This historic neighborhood with many fine examples of Victorian houses abuts the park on the north, while a small enclave of Springfield's stately brick colonial homes and the town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts borders the park to the south.

Attractions

Among the Forest Park's notable year-round attractions are the Forest Park Zoo, which features large cats, monkeys, birds, and a number of other "exotic and indigenous animals";[15] several playgrounds; Porter Lake; an ice hockey and ice-skating rink, Cyr Arena; several baseball diamonds and a grandstand; a rose garden; a bocce court; a lawn bowling court; basketball and tennis courts; an aquatic garden (in the Asian style); numerous promenades; a beach volleyball court; several wooded groves; picnic areas; America's first public swimming pool (1899); ponds with various waterfowl; an exhibit of ancient dinosaur tracks, and an eternal flame that burns 24 hours a day honoring President John F. Kennedy.

The ruggedly contoured valley of Pecousic Brook occupies more than half of the south side of the Forest Park. This area has been left largely Naturalist in style, although it features many walking trails and a few elegant bridges. This network of trails includes the Meadowbrook Ravine Trail, accessible near Barney Pond, and is a wide, well-traveled path with outlets to the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield. For a map of the trails, visit ForestParkMap.

The park is also home to many species of birds and wildlife.

The statue at the Route 5 entrance to Forest Park[16] was created by Peter Wolf Toth and is part of the Trail of the Whispering Giants. The statue represents Omiskanoagwiak.

A statue of a golden retriever, Stone Dog II, currently stands between the park's largest playground and the zoo. The statue is a near replica of an older statue (known by Springfield natives and park patrons as Stone Dog), which went missing from the park in 1987. The original Stone Dog dates back to the late 19th century.[17]

Since 1970, the Environmental Center for Our Schools (or ECOS, as it is commonly called) takes all Springfield public school students in grades four through seven on a two-day environmental learning outing in Forest Park. The headquarters of this organization is located in Forest Park.[18]

Camp STAR

During Summer, Camp STAR/Angelina is an inclusive camp for children of all abilities, ages 3 to 22 years old. Some of the special needs populations the camp has worked with include: developmental delays, ADD/ADHD, emotional problems, learning disabilities, and visual and hearing impairments. Camp STAR/Angelina is a 6-week summer program. The camp is located on the outskirts of Forest Park off Trafton Road and activities include swimming, sports, games, crafts, field trips and an end of camp variety show.

Bright Nights

Bright Nights at Forest Park is a national attraction during the Christmas and Chanukah seasons. Bright Nights is a lighting spectacle that features time and color coordinated lighting exhibits. Trees and sculptures are decorated to look like various scenes and characters, including many from the works of Springfield native Dr. Seuss. Many scenes are animated; others are simply decorative. One of the spectacles' most elaborate exhibits is a replica of Everett Barney's mansion. Viewers in automobiles queue up to drive for approximately 2 miles along a meandering path through the park to see the displays. Each year Bright Nights changes and becomes more elaborate.

References

  1. ^ "Forest Park - Springfield, MA - Olmsted Designed Parks on Waymarking.com".
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 2009-01-08.
  3. ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-10-26.
  4. ^ "'Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America' documentary to be screened in Northampton". 3 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Project Details Page - Olmsted Online".
  6. ^ "New England Public Media | Watch Meets Listen".
  7. ^ "Olmsted Designed Parks - A Waymarking.com Category".
  8. ^ "Forest Park - Springfield, MA - Olmsted Designed Parks on Waymarking.com".
  9. ^ "Barney Carriage House: Weddings and Corporate Events at the Carriage House at the Barney Estate, Forest Park, Springfield, MA 01108".
  10. ^ "Barney Carriage House: Weddings and Corporate Events at the Carriage House at the Barney Estate, Forest Park, Springfield, MA 01108".
  11. ^ Park Commissioners' Report: Springfield, Massachusetts, Springfield (Mass.): Board of Park Commissioners, 1894.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  13. ^ . Archived from the original on 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  14. ^ Johnson, Patrick (October 12, 2017). "Gov. Baker announces $3 million in repair funding for aging culvert at Forest Park main entrance". MassLive.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on 2012-06-22.
  16. ^ "Forest Park Map" (PDF). City of Springfield. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  17. ^ Flynn, Anne-Gerard (2013-09-23). "Forest Park replaces missing stone dog". The Republican. Springfield, MA. Retrieved 2016-06-15 – via InfoWeb.
  18. ^ Environmental Center for Our Schools: Introduction to ECOS for Parents. Emfoley.com (2008-09-02). Retrieved on 2013-08-02.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Forest Park, Springfield.
  • City of Springfield Park Department
  • Forest Park Zoo
  • Bright Nights
  • Society of Everett Barney
  • The Carriage House at the Barney Estate
  • Forest Park Civic Association

Coordinates: 42°4′30.1″N 72°34′6.6″W / 42.075028°N 72.568500°W / 42.075028; -72.568500

December 27, 2022
forest, park, springfield, massachusetts, this, article, about, municipal, park, adjoining, neighborhood, forest, park, springfield, massachusetts, forest, park, springfield, massachusetts, largest, urban, municipal, parks, united, states, covering, acres, lan. This article is about the municipal park For the adjoining neighborhood see Forest Park Springfield Massachusetts Forest Park in Springfield Massachusetts is one of the largest urban municipal parks in the United States covering 735 acres 297 ha of land overlooking the Connecticut River Forest Park features a zoo aquatic gardens and outdoor amphitheater in addition to design elements like winding wooded trails and surprising expansive views 1 2 3 4 The site of America s first public municipal swimming pool currently during the holiday months Forest Park hosts a popular high tech lighting display known as Bright Nights 5 6 7 Contrary to popular belief the park was not designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Forest ParkLaurel Hill and Aquatic GardensLocationSpringfield Massachusetts in Massachusetts United StatesArea736 acres 2 98 km2 Created1884 1884 Operated bySpringfield Parks Department Contents 1 History 2 Interstate 91 3 Attractions 4 Camp STAR 5 Bright Nights 6 References 7 External linksHistory Edit Orick Herman Greenleaf In 1884 Springfielder Orick H Greenleaf offered 65 acres 26 ha for the establishment of a park to be named Forest Park Shortly after approximately 178 acres 72 ha were donated by wealthy philanthropist Everett Hosmer Barney Barney made his fortune as a Civil War arms producer and later as a businessman inventing clamp on ice skates and rollerskates 8 9 Everett Hosmer Barney In 1890 Barney built an elaborate turreted 2 1 2 story Victorian mansion on a hill at the west end of his estate which featured a spectacular view of the Connecticut River and Metro Center Springfield The mansion s elaborate carriage house still stands today serving as a restaurant and banquet hall in Forest Park 10 To create the parcel of land on which Forest Park was built Greenleaf and Barney convinced several of their wealthy friends and neighbors to donate much of the remaining land that would ultimately make up the 735 acre Forest Park They both became members of the Board of Park Commissioners which also listed John Olmsted resigned on March 1 1886 11 At the time much of this land was located in the neighboring suburb of Longmeadow Massachusetts which had separated from Springfield nearly a century before the construction of Forest Park 12 Ultimately Longmeadow ceded complete control of Forest Park to the City of Springfield 13 In October 2017 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that the state would assume the 3 million costs to repair a culvert at the main entrance of the park 14 Interstate 91 EditThe Barney Mansion was used for Forest Park events until the mid 1950s when about 50 acres 20 ha of the park including 15 acres 6 1 ha of the former Barney estate were taken to construct the Springfield Longmeadow sections of Interstate 91 Barney s house stood atop the hill at the northwest corner of the park and the highway construction may have threatened its foundations anticipating that it was razed Ultimately the construction of I 91 severed the Forest Park s connection to the Connecticut River The Barney Mansion s stained glass windows were moved to a house in Palmer Massachusetts where the demolition contractor lived at the time The mausoleum of Barney s son and a carriage house still survive from the estate along with many remnants of an extensive arboretum and water gardens planted by Barney around 1900 The developer of the Forest Park neighborhood 1 continued this theme by planting many specimen trees especially around Magnolia Terrace This historic neighborhood with many fine examples of Victorian houses abuts the park on the north while a small enclave of Springfield s stately brick colonial homes and the town of Longmeadow Massachusetts borders the park to the south Attractions EditAmong the Forest Park s notable year round attractions are the Forest Park Zoo which features large cats monkeys birds and a number of other exotic and indigenous animals 15 several playgrounds Porter Lake an ice hockey and ice skating rink Cyr Arena several baseball diamonds and a grandstand a rose garden a bocce court a lawn bowling court basketball and tennis courts an aquatic garden in the Asian style numerous promenades a beach volleyball court several wooded groves picnic areas America s first public swimming pool 1899 ponds with various waterfowl an exhibit of ancient dinosaur tracks and an eternal flame that burns 24 hours a day honoring President John F Kennedy The ruggedly contoured valley of Pecousic Brook occupies more than half of the south side of the Forest Park This area has been left largely Naturalist in style although it features many walking trails and a few elegant bridges This network of trails includes the Meadowbrook Ravine Trail accessible near Barney Pond and is a wide well traveled path with outlets to the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield For a map of the trails visit ForestParkMap The park is also home to many species of birds and wildlife The statue at the Route 5 entrance to Forest Park 16 was created by Peter Wolf Toth and is part of the Trail of the Whispering Giants The statue represents Omiskanoagwiak A statue of a golden retriever Stone Dog II currently stands between the park s largest playground and the zoo The statue is a near replica of an older statue known by Springfield natives and park patrons as Stone Dog which went missing from the park in 1987 The original Stone Dog dates back to the late 19th century 17 Since 1970 the Environmental Center for Our Schools or ECOS as it is commonly called takes all Springfield public school students in grades four through seven on a two day environmental learning outing in Forest Park The headquarters of this organization is located in Forest Park 18 Camp STAR EditDuring Summer Camp STAR Angelina is an inclusive camp for children of all abilities ages 3 to 22 years old Some of the special needs populations the camp has worked with include developmental delays ADD ADHD emotional problems learning disabilities and visual and hearing impairments Camp STAR Angelina is a 6 week summer program The camp is located on the outskirts of Forest Park off Trafton Road and activities include swimming sports games crafts field trips and an end of camp variety show Bright Nights EditBright Nights at Forest Park is a national attraction during the Christmas and Chanukah seasons Bright Nights is a lighting spectacle that features time and color coordinated lighting exhibits Trees and sculptures are decorated to look like various scenes and characters including many from the works of Springfield native Dr Seuss Many scenes are animated others are simply decorative One of the spectacles most elaborate exhibits is a replica of Everett Barney s mansion Viewers in automobiles queue up to drive for approximately 2 miles along a meandering path through the park to see the displays Each year Bright Nights changes and becomes more elaborate 2 References Edit Forest Park Springfield MA Olmsted Designed Parks on Waymarking com Court Square Springfield Mass City Information Archived from the original on 2009 01 08 Bushnell Isn t An Olmsted Park tribunedigital thecourant Archived from the original on 2015 10 26 Frederick Law Olmsted Designing America documentary to be screened in Northampton 3 April 2014 Project Details Page Olmsted Online New England Public Media Watch Meets Listen Olmsted Designed Parks A Waymarking com Category Forest Park Springfield MA Olmsted Designed Parks on Waymarking com Barney Carriage House Weddings and Corporate Events at the Carriage House at the Barney Estate Forest Park Springfield MA 01108 Barney Carriage House Weddings and Corporate Events at the Carriage House at the Barney Estate Forest Park Springfield MA 01108 Park Commissioners Report Springfield Massachusetts Springfield Mass Board of Park Commissioners 1894 A Brief History of Longmeadow Massachusetts Town of Longmeadow Massachusetts Archived from the original on 2015 04 17 Retrieved 2015 04 21 A Brief History of Longmeadow Massachusetts Town of Longmeadow Massachusetts Archived from the original on 2015 04 17 Retrieved 2015 04 21 Johnson Patrick October 12 2017 Gov Baker announces 3 million in repair funding for aging culvert at Forest Park main entrance MassLive com Advance Publications Retrieved April 15 2018 About the Zoo In Forest Park and Education Center Archived from the original on 2012 06 22 Forest Park Map PDF City of Springfield Retrieved 2016 06 15 Flynn Anne Gerard 2013 09 23 Forest Park replaces missing stone dog The Republican Springfield MA Retrieved 2016 06 15 via InfoWeb Environmental Center for Our Schools Introduction to ECOS for Parents Emfoley com 2008 09 02 Retrieved on 2013 08 02 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Forest Park Springfield City of Springfield Park Department Forest Park Zoo Bright Nights Society of Everett Barney The Carriage House at the Barney Estate Forest Park Civic AssociationCoordinates 42 4 30 1 N 72 34 6 6 W 42 075028 N 72 568500 W 42 075028 72 568500 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Forest Park Springfield Massachusetts amp oldid 1106122013, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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