While the City of Trenton has fallen on hard times over the past 50 years, it must be remembered…read morethat in the 1950s and 60s it was considered an " All American City." A tour of the old neighborhoods reflects its faded glory, from the sweeping stone mansions in Hiltonia, to the riverside peacefulness of The Island, and the professional enclaves of Berkeley Square and Glen Afton. But, the beautiful heart of this capital city has been Cadwalader Park since the turn of the Twentieth Century.
It was in the last years of the 19th that the city fathers decided the historic and economic importance of town required a public space equal to its greatness. New York City was creating Central Park with the help of the geniuses Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, so why not , "the City that built the Brooklyn Bridge?" They began by purchasing 90 acres of forested and meadowed land from George Farlee for $50,000 in 1887, and sculpted a park dedicated to the well being of its residents beginning the next year. Olmsted accepted the commission and spent the next decade coming to Trenton to design the park and oversee its development. The immense landscaping project was named after Thomas Cadwalader, a doctor and chief burger (mayor) of the city before the Revolutionary War (1746), and a founder of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia along with Benjamin Franklin.
During its heyday the park held a zoo, Ellarslie Mansion, the original home of the McCall family who owned most of the land used as their summer home to escape the heat and disease of Philly summers, before it was sold to the Farlees. They planted many specimen trees and shrubs that were brought from around the world. As with any public works there were government administrations that did not agree with spending taxpayer money for "amenities", and economic hard times that led to benign neglect of the park over many years. The park fell into disrepair and became a dangerous place (just like Central Park). Yet, for those of us who lived nearby it was always a wonderful site to walk, jog, bike along its trails and play softball in its open fields.
Today it is a bit disheveled, with an overhead canal running through it, and an interesting city oriented museum operating in the mansion (Olmsted visioned it as a restaurant). It is worth your time when visiting Trenton to drive over and do a walkabout. The trees are now huge and the paths and trails uncrowded. In fall it is awash with color. In winter the view extends down slope to the mighty Delaware River. In spring and summer the sounds of baseball, dogs barking and children on wheels echo throughout.
It is my favorite place in this "Trenton Makes, The World Takes" city; struggling, but sprouting new roots and branches for the next century. In many important ways how Cadwalader Park engages with its residents going forward will determine the direction of this city, much more than its main business of state government.
It deserves our love and protection.
P.S. The Five Stars reflect not just the current status of the park, but its history and future potential. I know that if I were to move back to Trenton, I would want to live in Hiltonia overlooking Cadwalader Park, and have its 109 acres as my front yard.
