Goffle Brook Park
Encyclopedia
Goffle Brook Park is a public, county park
spanning much of the length of Goffle Brook
through the borough of Hawthorne
in Passaic County, New Jersey
. Since its designation and construction between 1930 and 1932, the park has served to protect the waters of Goffle Brook while at the same time providing recreational opportunities to the residents of Passaic County and nearby Bergen County. Goffle Brook Park has been included in the National Register of Historic Places
since 2002.
park was designed during the early stages of the creation of the Passaic County Park System by the firm of Olmsted Associates, heirs to the practice of Frederick Law Olmsted
, which at the time was operated by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
As originally planned, the 103 acre (0.41682658 km²) park consisted of wide, manicured meadows, woodlands, and a former mill pond surrounded by walking paths. Since the 1930s, playgrounds, athletic fields, and a dog run have been added.
Additionally, the borough of Hawthorne
now maintains a series of small trails in the 8-Acre Woods at the southern end of the park. Hawthorne High School
maintains a substantial recreational complex adjacent to Goffle Brook Park that includes a football stadium, running track, baseball fields, hockey rink, and tennis courts.
Mary Delaney Krugman Associates, Inc., a group of historic preservation consultants, was responsible for the nomination of Goffle Brook Park to both the New Jersey and National Historic Places Registry. The consultants acted on behalf of the "Please Save Our Parkland Committee" based in the borough of Hawthorne.
camps existed within the boundaries of what would eventually become the park. The more significant of the two camps sat at the confluence of Goffle Brook and Deep Voll Brook
.
The area of Goffle Brook Park played a significant part in the American Revolutionary War
. For a time, General Lafayette’s troops were stationed along Goffle Brook. In particular, Major Lee’s Virginia light horse troop occupied the east bank of the brook in 1780, while Lafayette’s light infantry occupied the west bank on the flank of First Watchung Mountain. Lafayette’s headquarters were at the Ryerson House, the former location of which is marked atop a small hill in the southern section of the park.
(First Watchung Mountain), the verdant Goffle Brook Park follows Goffle Brook for a little over a mile and a half between CR 665 Lafayette Ave and MacFarlan Ave/Maitland Ave in Hawthorne
. While no wider than a third of a mile, the park offers sweeping views from its hilly southern meadows. In the winter, these hilly sections of the park are popular sleigh riding attractions. The southern section of the park also features an enclosed dog run, various ball fields, two playgrounds, a picnic area, and wooded walking trails.
The northern part of the park features Arnold’s Pond, a former grist mill pond now used primarily for fishing. Another main feature of north end is the single, trodden footpath paralleling Goffle Brook north of CR 654 Diamond Bridge Ave. The path is paved around Arnold’s Pond, but it is otherwise unimproved except for a concrete staircase extending down into the valley of Goffle Brook from the corner of CR 659 Goffle Road and Warburton Ave. The northern part of the park also features a playground and a ball field near the corner of CR 659 Goffle Road and CR 664 Rea Ave.
. Its steel frame and wood deck construction is an example of a hybrid truss design, specifically a pony truss. When the bridge was located in Ringwood it was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
County park
A county park is a park managed by a county. In the United States, county parks are lower in hierarchy than state parks. In the United Kingdom, similar parks for recreation are named country parks....
spanning much of the length of Goffle Brook
Goffle Brook
Goffle Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River which flows south through a section of Passaic County and Bergen County in New Jersey and drains the eastern side of the First Watchung Mountain...
through the borough of Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...
in Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
. Since its designation and construction between 1930 and 1932, the park has served to protect the waters of Goffle Brook while at the same time providing recreational opportunities to the residents of Passaic County and nearby Bergen County. Goffle Brook Park has been included in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 2002.
History
The greenwayGreenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
park was designed during the early stages of the creation of the Passaic County Park System by the firm of Olmsted Associates, heirs to the practice of 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...
, which at the time was operated by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was an American landscape architect best known for his wildlife conservation efforts. He had a lifetime commitment to national parks, and worked on projects in Acadia, the Everglades and Yosemite National Park. Olmsted Point in Yosemite and Olmsted Island at Great Falls...
As originally planned, the 103 acre (0.41682658 km²) park consisted of wide, manicured meadows, woodlands, and a former mill pond surrounded by walking paths. Since the 1930s, playgrounds, athletic fields, and a dog run have been added.
Additionally, the borough of Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...
now maintains a series of small trails in the 8-Acre Woods at the southern end of the park. Hawthorne High School
Hawthorne High School (New Jersey)
Hawthorne High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Hawthorne, in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Hawthorne Public Schools....
maintains a substantial recreational complex adjacent to Goffle Brook Park that includes a football stadium, running track, baseball fields, hockey rink, and tennis courts.
Mary Delaney Krugman Associates, Inc., a group of historic preservation consultants, was responsible for the nomination of Goffle Brook Park to both the New Jersey and National Historic Places Registry. The consultants acted on behalf of the "Please Save Our Parkland Committee" based in the borough of Hawthorne.
Colonial Past
Prior to the American Revolution, two LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
camps existed within the boundaries of what would eventually become the park. The more significant of the two camps sat at the confluence of Goffle Brook and Deep Voll Brook
Deep Voll Brook
Deep Voll Brook, also known as Deep Brook , is a tributary of Goffle Brook and part of the Passaic River watershed. The brook drains part of the eastern flank of First Watchung Mountain, cutting through portions of Bergen and Passaic county in New Jersey...
.
The area of Goffle Brook Park played a significant part in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. For a time, General Lafayette’s troops were stationed along Goffle Brook. In particular, Major Lee’s Virginia light horse troop occupied the east bank of the brook in 1780, while Lafayette’s light infantry occupied the west bank on the flank of First Watchung Mountain. Lafayette’s headquarters were at the Ryerson House, the former location of which is marked atop a small hill in the southern section of the park.
Description
Sitting on the eastern foot of Goffle HillGoffle Hill
Goffle Hill, also referred to as Goffle Mountain and historically known as Totoway Mountain and Wagaraw Mountain, is a range of the trap rock Watchung Mountains on the western edge of the Newark Basin in northern New Jersey. The hill straddles part of the border of Bergen County and Passaic...
(First Watchung Mountain), the verdant Goffle Brook Park follows Goffle Brook for a little over a mile and a half between CR 665 Lafayette Ave and MacFarlan Ave/Maitland Ave in Hawthorne
Hawthorne, New Jersey
Hawthorne is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 18,218.Hawthorne was originally part of the now-defunct Manchester Township, which was later subdivided to create Hawthorne, Haledon, North Haledon, Prospect Park,...
. While no wider than a third of a mile, the park offers sweeping views from its hilly southern meadows. In the winter, these hilly sections of the park are popular sleigh riding attractions. The southern section of the park also features an enclosed dog run, various ball fields, two playgrounds, a picnic area, and wooded walking trails.
The northern part of the park features Arnold’s Pond, a former grist mill pond now used primarily for fishing. Another main feature of north end is the single, trodden footpath paralleling Goffle Brook north of CR 654 Diamond Bridge Ave. The path is paved around Arnold’s Pond, but it is otherwise unimproved except for a concrete staircase extending down into the valley of Goffle Brook from the corner of CR 659 Goffle Road and Warburton Ave. The northern part of the park also features a playground and a ball field near the corner of CR 659 Goffle Road and CR 664 Rea Ave.
Magee Road Bridge
In 2007, the southern end of Goffle Brook Park saw the emplacement of the historic Magee Road Bridge over Goffle Brook. Built in 1930, the bridge originally spanned West Brook in Ringwood, New JerseyRingwood, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 12,396 people, 4,108 households, and 3,446 families residing in the borough. The population density is 491.0 people per square mile . There are 4,221 housing units at an average density of 167.2 per square mile...
. Its steel frame and wood deck construction is an example of a hybrid truss design, specifically a pony truss. When the bridge was located in Ringwood it was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Passaic County, New Jersey
- Garret Mountain ReservationGarret Mountain ReservationGarret Mountain Reservation is 568 acre park located in southern Passaic County, New Jersey, United States and one of several National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey...
, a nearby park designed by the Olmsted firm around the same time as Goffle Brook Park.