Verona Park
Encyclopedia
Verona Park is a park located in Verona
, as part of the Essex County
park system.
Verona Park is a 54.32 acres (219,825.4 m²) park with a lake bordered by Lakeside and Bloomfield Avenues in the southern part of Verona. This is the fifth largest park within the system.
Once an old swamp, the lake was first formed in 1814 when Doctor Gone (or Bohn) dammed the Peckman River
for a grist mill. Later this lake surrounded by weeping willow trees and winding paths became an ideal location for family activities. Even before it became a county park, the public—including residents outside Verona—flocked there by way of the Bloomfield Avenue trolley, to bathe and picnic and enjoy some commercial amusements.
The first land acquisitions for the park were made in 1920. Demand for acquisition of this desirable tract had been increasing for some time, but action was delayed due to economic conditions caused by the war. To acquire part of this land owned by the Erie Railroad Company, an agreement was made allowing the RR to retain a right-of-way across the park by means of a bridge. Sketches showed a bridge with a series of high arches that spanned the lake and roadway. Fortunately, this bridge never materialized. Instead, the existing arched pedestrian bridge over the lake presents a quaint architectural highlight.
The landscape plans prepared by the Olmsted Brothers
were approved the same year Verona Park was acquired. Actual development did not start until several years later due to court proceedings concerning condemnation of some of the land. There was no inconvenience to the public during the delay because the park was already being used for boating, bathing, skating, picnics, and band concerts.
Verona, New Jersey
Verona is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,332.In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Verona #1 in Essex County and #3 in New Jersey as "Top Places to Live in New Jersey".-History:Verona and several...
, as part of the Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
park system.
Verona Park is a 54.32 acres (219,825.4 m²) park with a lake bordered by Lakeside and Bloomfield Avenues in the southern part of Verona. This is the fifth largest park within the system.
Once an old swamp, the lake was first formed in 1814 when Doctor Gone (or Bohn) dammed the Peckman River
Peckman River
The Peckman River is a tributary of the Passaic River in Essex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey in the United States.The Peckman River originates in the township of West Orange and flows northeasterly through the townships of Verona, Cedar Grove and Little Falls to its confluence with the Passaic...
for a grist mill. Later this lake surrounded by weeping willow trees and winding paths became an ideal location for family activities. Even before it became a county park, the public—including residents outside Verona—flocked there by way of the Bloomfield Avenue trolley, to bathe and picnic and enjoy some commercial amusements.
The first land acquisitions for the park were made in 1920. Demand for acquisition of this desirable tract had been increasing for some time, but action was delayed due to economic conditions caused by the war. To acquire part of this land owned by the Erie Railroad Company, an agreement was made allowing the RR to retain a right-of-way across the park by means of a bridge. Sketches showed a bridge with a series of high arches that spanned the lake and roadway. Fortunately, this bridge never materialized. Instead, the existing arched pedestrian bridge over the lake presents a quaint architectural highlight.
The landscape plans prepared by the Olmsted Brothers
Olmsted Brothers
The Olmsted Brothers company was an influential landscape design firm in the United States, formed in 1898 by stepbrothers John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. .-History:...
were approved the same year Verona Park was acquired. Actual development did not start until several years later due to court proceedings concerning condemnation of some of the land. There was no inconvenience to the public during the delay because the park was already being used for boating, bathing, skating, picnics, and band concerts.
Park Features
lake for boating and fishing- Boathouse
- Ornamental bridge over the lake, popular for wedding party photographs
- Children’s garden
- Tennis courts
- Playground fitness course
- Softball field
- Bocce courts
- Annual craft show
- Concerts at gazebo in center of park