Clark Park is a famous place in Philadelphia.
Founded back in 1895, this Philadelphia park is considered one of the oldest. Banker and developer Clarence Howard Clark donated the land for the future park area. That is why this recreation area was named in his honor. Find out more at Philadelphia.name
The beginning of the story
When the American Civil War broke out, a small part of the territory of the future park was occupied by a hospital.
Soldiers were treated there. However, right after the end of the war, the facility was demolished.
The “bowl” is a distinctive feature of the park, which once was a mill pond. It produced water for the paper factory and another mill located nearby.
The mill was closed in the 1860s because this area became inhabited.
During the 1890s, the territory served as a public dump. Only in 1894, the local authorities offered to allocate land for the park construction.
Most of this area was owned by Clarence Howard Clark. He was a well-known banker and developer who donated his land for the future park.
When the donation was legalized, Clark indicated in the documents that the land should be utilized exclusively for the park.
Memorial installation
On May 16, 1907, the local government made a decision to transfer the park to the Bureau of City Property. Then the park’s walkways were covered with macadam. In 1916, a memorial was erected there, which was supposed to be a reminder of the war period events, and of course, a hospital once located on its grounds where soldiers were treated.
The first substation of the fire alarm system was set up in Clark Park in 1925. As a result, calls for services were directed to different fire departments in Philadelphia, while earlier, all the calls used to pass only through the central station.
Municipal improvement
In the summer of 1961, Philly’s officials allocated forty thousand dollars to upgrade the park area. Following this initiative, a basketball court, checkers tables, a playground and drinking fountains appeared there. Landscape design was also significantly improved then.
Special organization
In 1973, the non-profit volunteer organization the Friends of Clark Park was formed. The organization had to maintain and look for the park. Yet, no major projects were implemented during the 1970s and 1980s. That is why there were no radical changes and improvements in Clark Park. The only exception was the minor repairs and installation of playground equipment.
As of 1998, the territory was heavily cluttered, particularly with broken glass. The park was not illuminated. So after dark, it was closed. It should be noted that at night, drug trafficking was active in this place.
Construction and renovation works
In 2000, the Friends of Clark Park initiated fundraising to carry out betterment works at the park.
Thus, from 2000 to 2006, three hundred thousand dollars were collected.
This amount allowed the development of a master plan for the reconstruction of the park area. The document provided for the construction of new playgrounds, basketball court upgrading, conducting electricity and alley renovation.
After that, construction and restoration works started, which were eventually completed on June 16, 2011. It became a remarkable and long-awaited event for all residents. After all, Clark Park is one of the most favorite recreation places for both adults and children.