Brandywine Park was the first city park established by the city of
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
. It is located on the banks of
Brandywine Creek, between Augustine Road and North Market Street. The park was established in 1886, and was designed by Samuel Canby, the city's parks commissioner, in consultation with
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...
. Although initially laid out as a bucolic park with winding paths and roadways, it has since expanded to include active recreation facilities.
The park is approximately 178 acres and it spans both the north and south banks of the Brandywine. Much of the park has been preserved as a mix of wilderness and open space with walking trails and scenic views of the creek and surrounding woods. The open space section of the park includes two formal gardens, a rose garden and a
cherry blossom
A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...
garden. The
Brandywine Zoo
Brandywine Zoo is a small zoo that opened in 1905 in Brandywine Park in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. It is located on the banks of the Brandywine River. The zoo is managed by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation and supported ...
was created in 1905 and now occupies 4.75 acres of the park.
Brandywine Park also includes active recreational facilities including playgrounds, athletic fields, and Baynard Stadium.
The park was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1976.
It is a unit of Delaware's
Wilmington State Parks
Wilmington State Parks is a state park located in Wilmington, Delaware. Open year round, the park is approximately of land mostly situated along the Brandywine Creek. The state park is made up of a group of smaller parks that are administrativ ...
.
See also
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Brandywine Creek State Park
Brandywine Creek State Park is a state park, located north of Wilmington, Delaware along the Brandywine Creek. Open year-round, it is in area and much of the park was part of a Du Pont family estate and dairy farm before becoming a state park ...
*
References
National Register of Historic Places in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
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