Rockwell Park is a public park in
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. As of the 2020 census, the ...
. Located in a residential area west of downtown Bristol, it includes open spaces and woodlands on either side of the
Pequabuck River
The Pequabuck River is a river, approximately 19 miles (30.6 km) in length, which rises in Litchfield County, Connecticut, and courses through neighboring Hartford County before emptying into the Farmington River in Farmington. The river has ...
. Park amenities include a swimming pool, sports fields, and a playground. Many of the park's buildings are built out of rustic
cobblestone
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings.
Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fro ...
, and include several
follies
''Follies'' is a Musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman.
The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on t ...
. The park, the city's first public 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 1987.
Setting and layout
Rockwell Park is an elongated area of , extending from Steele Road in the east to Park Street and Terryville Road in the west. The Pequabuck River, a swiftly flowing stream, roughly bisects the western two-thirds of the park, running south of the park's eastern lobe. The northernmost portions of the park are heavily wooded steep terrain, and are undeveloped except for hiking trails. The southern portions are more level, and include two artificial ponds, a large lawn for passive recreation, and a cluster of sports fields and playground.
Architecture
The buildings and structures of the park are characterized by rustic cobblestone architecture. The three main entrances to the park each have gates built out of cobblestone, that at Dutton Avenue the most elaborate. The most architecturally sophisticated building is the Summerhouse, a
pavilion
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
structure featuring rounded arches and roof
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
s.
[
]
History
The park was donated to the city in 1914 by Albert Rockwell
Albert Fenimore Rockwell (April 8, 1862 - February 16, 1925) was an American inventor, manufacturer, industrialist, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the New Departure Manufacturing Company, which later became a division of General Moto ...
, the owner of a local manufacturer of automotive parts, doorbells, and other products. Rockwell retained Sheffield Arnold, a landscape architect based in Boston, Massachusetts, to design the park. The park's early inclusion of recreational amenities is typical of parks of the early 20th century, and a departure from earlier parks, which often emphasized carriage roads and passive uses. The parkland was originally part of the Rockwell estate, and the Rockwells' original gift of was enlarged over the years by further gifts. The Rockwells also regularly contributed additional funds for maintenance and new facilities. The park was the city's only public park until 1933.[
]
See also
*
References
External links
Bristol Parks - Rockwell Park
{{National Register of Historic Places
Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Hartford County, Connecticut
Buildings and structures completed in 1914
Parks in Hartford County, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Historic districts in Connecticut