Riverbank Park | |
A soccer field in Riverbank Park
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| Nearest city | Newark, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°43′55″N 74°9′9″W / 40.73194°N 74.15250°W / 40.73194; -74.15250 |
| Area | 10.8 acres (4.4 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | Olmsted Brothers |
| Architectural style | Urban Park |
| NRHP reference No. | 98000351[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 60[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1998 |
| Designated NJRHP | October 29, 1999 |
Riverbank Park is a park in the Ironbound section of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The park was opened in 1910[3] and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1998.[4] It is the smallest and one of the most heavily used parks in the Essex County Park System.[5]
The park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted.[3] The park land was acquired in 1907 and construction finished in 1910.[3] A driving force behind the building of the park was Franklin Murphy (governor) who wanted his workers at the Murphy Varnish Works to have open space.[5]
An expansion took place between 1926 and 1931.[3] The baseball fields are on the former location of the Balbach Smelting & Refining Company, one of the largest metal processing companies in the country, which closed in the 1920s.[5]
In 1996, there was an attempt to build the Newark Bears, Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium at the site of the park, demolishing the park.[6] SPARK (Save the Park At RiverbanK) is a community group formed to save the park from destruction.[6] After an unsuccessful attempt to save the park via referendum, they were able to get the park on the National Historic Register.[4]
SPARK's work also resulted in a remediation of contaminated soil in the park, which was completed in 2003.[7]
In August 2011, plans were announced to create Newark Riverfront Park, next door to Riverbank Park along the Passaic River[8][9][10] which opened in August 2012.[11][12][13][14] A further extension of parkland along the river was announced in June 2016.[15][16] Work proceeded in 2017. Eventually it will reach Bridge Street Bridge.[17]
Currently, SPARK hosts programs in the park including a Learning Program with the New Jersey Historical Society and Greater Newark Conservancy,[4] movie nights[18] and Music and Art Day.[19]
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