Military Park Commons Historic District | |
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Park Place, Broad St, E. Park Street and Raymond Boulevard Newark, New Jersey |
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| Coordinates | 40°44′23″N74°10′9″W / 40.73972°N 74.16917°W /40.73972; -74.16917 |
| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1916 (1916) |
| Architect | John H. Ely, Wilson C. Ely;Guilbert and Betelle |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000649[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 1283[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 2004 |
| Designated NJRHP | August 29, 1990 |
Military Park is a 6-acre (24,000 m2) city park indowntown Newark inNewark, New Jersey. Along withLincoln Park andWashington Park, it makes up the three downtown parks in Newark that were laid out in thecolonial era. It is a nearly triangular park located between Park Place, Rector Street and Broad Street.
TheNew Jersey Historical Society,Military Park Building, theNew Jersey Performing Arts Center, theRobert Treat Center and the newly built One Theatre Square and 50 Rector St buildings are located across Park Place from the park. A $3.25 million renovation led byDan Biederman was announced in February 2012.[3][4] The reconstruction was expected to be completed in late 2013,[5][6] but due to harsh weather was postponed until spring 2014.[7] A casual restaurant, Burg, does business in the park.[8] The park reopened in June 2014.[9]
The park was originally laid out byRobert Treat at the founding of Newark as a training ground for soldiers. It saw periodic military use throughout its history; it served as a training ground during the French and Indian War, a campground for the American army in theAmerican Revolution and the War of 1812. At the end of the American Revolution it was designated as a public park.[10]
There was a period of time in the mid-20th century where the park fell into disrepair. The grounds were considered unsafe and therefore unsuitable for the general population's usage. Military Park fell into a state of disrepair until conservation efforts began in 2003 and ground was broken in 2013. The new park grounds boasts a more open and inviting atmosphere for passersby as well as a revitalized location in downtown Newark.[11]
The Military Park Commons Historic District is a 10-acre (4.0 ha)historic district roughly bounded by Washington Place, McCarter Highway, E. Park Street and Raymond Boulevard encompassing the park. It was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on June 18, 2004, for its significance in architecture, and community planning and development. The district includes 37contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 9 contributing objects. Eight resources were previously listed individually, includingWars of America byGutzon Borglum,Griffith Building,Hahne and Company,Symington House, andTrinity & St. Philip's Cathedral.[12]
In the southwestern part of the park is the largeWars of America monument, created byGutzon Borglum, the sculptor ofMount Rushmore.[13]
The sculpture itself forms the base of a large concrete sword built into the ground. The sword from the ground resembles a large dry fountain and from the air its shape is easily distinguished. The sword is about eighty yards long from the end of the statue to its tip; the blade is over ten feet across at its base. A bust ofJohn F. Kennedy byJacques Lipchitz was erected in 1965. The park also has an old drinking fountain with the phrase "My cup runneth over" carved around its base, and statues ofFrederick Frelinghuysen andPhilip Kearny. There is also an old fashioned carousel that was recently installed. A three-level underground parking garage is located beneath the park. TheMilitary ParkNewark Light Rail station lies under the southwest end of the park at Raymond Boulevard and Park Place.
Located in the middle of the park is the casual restaurant and outdoor bar the Burg, which opened in the fall of 2015.[14]
Doane Park is a tenth-acre triangular piece of land north of Military Park, where Broad Street and Park Place veer off and is separated from Military Park by Rector Street. A statue of Monsignor George Hobart Doane, for whom the park is named, was unveiled in 1908. Doane was a rector atSt. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral and did much for the city including his work with the Essex County Park Commission.[15]
Media related toMilitary Park, Newark, New Jersey at Wikimedia Commons
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