Burnside Park is a small park situated in Downtown Providence,

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, adjacent to

Kennedy Plaza Kennedy Plaza, formerly Exchange Place, Exchange Terrace, or City Hall Park, is a rectangular public square that occupies a central portion of Downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Since the mid 19th century, the plaza has served as a civic and tran ...

. The park is named for Ambrose Burnside, a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

from Rhode Island. An

equestrian statue of Ambrose Burnside ''Major General Ambrose E. Burnside'', also known as the Ambrose Burnside Monument, is a monumental equestrian statue in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The statue, located in the city's Burnside Park, was designed by sculptor Laun ...

was erected in the late 19th century and sits in the center of the park.

History

"Burnside Park" was originally known as City Hall Park. Some of the current park is located on the land that was formerly part of the Cove Basin. The rest was purchased from the Old Colony Railroad Company and the New York and New England Railroad Companies. The park was dedicated in 1892 and landscaped following the completion of Union Station in 1898. Monumental sculpture was added in the first decade of the 20th century, including the resetting of the equestrian portrait of General Ambrose E. Burnside (1887, Launt Thompson, sculptor) from Exchange Place in 1906. Burnside Park was the location of the camp of the

Occupy Providence Occupy Providence began on Saturday October 15, 2011. According to the ''Boston Globe'', well over 1,000 demonstrators, including children and adults of various ages, peacefully marched through the capital city before setting up camp at Burnside ...

Movement (patterned after the

Occupy Wall Street Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was a protest Social movement, movement against economic inequality and the Campaign finance, influence of money in politics that began in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Financial District, Manhattan, Wall S ...

movement in New York City) during the Fall of 2011.

Artworks

Bajnotti Fountain

The centerpiece of the park is the Bajnotti Fountain, sculpted in 1902 by Enid Yandell. At the time of its erection, it was referred to as the Carrie Brown Memorial Fountain. The fountain was a gift to the City of Providence by Italian Diplomat Signor Paul Bajnotti. It was commissioned as a memorial to Bajnotti's wife, Carrie Mathilde Brown, daughter of

Nicholas Brown III Nicholas Brown III (October 2, 1792 – March 2, 1859) was the United States Consul to the Papal court from 1845 to 1853 and later was Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island from 1856 to 1857, serving under Governor W. W. Hoppin. Early life Nich ...

, for whom the Carrie Tower is also named.

Burnside Statue

A 20-foot tall bronze statue by Irish-American sculptor Launt Thompson depicts Rhode Island Governor, Senator, and Civil War general Ambrose Burnside on horseback. A public campaign raised $30,000 to build a statue in Burnside's honor. The statue was unveiled July 4, 1887. It was restored in early 2015, as part of an overall upgrade to the downtown

area.

Gallery

File:The 1902 Carrie Brown Bajnotti Memorial Fountain in Providence.jpg, Bajnotti Fountain (1902), Enid Yandell File:Gen. Burnside Monument, Burnside Park, Providence, RI.jpg, Burnside Statue (1887), Launt Thompson File:Providence buildings 2.JPG, View of the Providence skyline from the park.

References

Providence County, Rhode Island Parks
Geography of Providence, Rhode Island Protected areas of Providence County, Rhode Island Tourist attractions in Providence, Rhode Island

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

Parks in Rhode Island 1892 establishments in Rhode Island {{ProvidenceRI-stub