History

A core part of CPA’s mission involves building awareness, excitement and support for Cadwalader Park, including the park’s rich history.

In 1975, a raging fire at the Trenton Armory burned most of the park’s original plans along with thousands of irreplaceable documents. Over the years, thanks to dedicated city employees and volunteers – first with Friends of Cadwalader Park and later with Cadwalader Park Alliance – much of that knowledge has been recovered, but much remains to be rediscovered.

This site shares some key historical resources about the park and will continue to grow as more information surfaces.

Historical Summary

Cadwalader Park is New Jersey’s only public park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. – America’s best known landscape architect – and his “last great urban park,” according to the National Park Service. It is also the City of Trenton’s oldest and largest park, currently spanning over 100 acres.

Olmsted worked on the park between 1890 and 1892, making Trenton one of a handful of American cities to benefit from park-planning by all three of the famous Olmsted designers: Frederick Law Olmsted, his stepson, John C. Olmsted, and his son, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

Read the full article here.

Other Historical Resources

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Olmsted in Trenton

Essay by Glenn R. Modica, AICP, a former CPA trustee and author of Cadwalader Heights: The History of an Olmsted Neighborhood, Trenton, New Jersey.

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The Master Plan

Published in 2000 by the City of Trenton in collaboration with local residents and the master planning team, the Master Plan envisions a future that encompasses the park’s many facets, including its rich history, varied ecology, and multiplicity of uses.

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Hunter Research Interpretive Signs

Digital copies of 5 signs that CPA commissioned to install inside the park, made possible through a grant from the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund.

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A History and Analysis

Frederick Law Olmsted and Cadwalader Park: A History and Analysis written by Charles E. Beveridge, the leading Olmsted authority in the United States and series editor of The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted. Commissioned as part of the Cadwalader Park Master Plan and published in March 1999.

Park Address:
36 Parkside, Trenton, NJ 08618
Bordered by Parkside Avenue, West State Street, Stuyvesant Avenue and Cadwalader Drive.
Click to open a Google Map

Cadwalader Park Alliance, Preserving A National Treasure in The City of Trenton
PO Box 7308, Trenton, NJ 08628

View the Park Master Plan!

Quick Links

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Visit the City of Trenton website to discover a wealth of information about recreation in the city and much, much more. www.trentonnj.org

Visit The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie website to learn more about this museum located in the heart of Cadwalader Park. www.ellarslie.org