Delaware Park–Front Park System is a historic

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 ...

system and national

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

in the northern and western sections of Buffalo in

Erie County, New York Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York (state), New York State. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 954,236. However, in the 2023 census, the Erie County population was 946,147 ...

. The park system was designed by

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...

and

Calvert Vaux Calvert Vaux Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, FAIA (; December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an English-American architect and landscape architect, landscape designer. He and his protégé Frederick Law Olmsted designed park ...

and developed between 1868 and 1876. The park system was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1982.

Components

The Delaware Park–Front Park System encompasses the following parts: ''See also:'' ''and''

Delaware Park

The centerpiece of the Buffalo, New York parks system and located in the North Buffalo neighborhood. The park was named simply ''The Park'' by Olmsted; it was later renamed Delaware Park because of its proximity to Delaware Avenue, Buffalo's mansion row. It is divided into two areas: the "Meadow Park" on the east and the "Water Park", with what was originally a lake, on the west. The ravine and picnic grove on the south side of the lake comprise a subdivision of the latter. Olmsted dammed

Scajaquada Creek Scajaquada Creek ( ) is a stream in Erie County, New York, United States. The name is derived from Philip Kenjockety, a Native American described as the oldest resident of the region upon his death in 1808. The creek lends its name to the Sca ...

to create the lake, originally called Gala Water, then Delaware Park Lake, and now known as Hoyt Lake. The lake was a feature during the

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a world's fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park–Front Park System, Delaware Park, extending ...

. The Scajaquada Expressway bisects the park west to east. The

Albright-Knox Art Gallery The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly known as the Albright–Knox Art Gallery, is an art museum located adjacent to Delaware Park, Buffalo, New York, United States. The museum shows modern art and contemporary art. It is directly opposite Buff ...

occupies the park's western edge, overlooking Hoyt Lake, and the Buffalo History Museum is situated on its northern edge, overlooking Scajaquada Creek. The park is home to Shakespeare in Delaware Park, a summer tradition since the mid-1970s, and the second largest free outdoor Shakespeare festival in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

(after

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

's). It is also the location of the Buffalo Zoo on the east side of Meadow Park. The park has a golf course, two baseball diamonds, a softball diamond, cross country running, tennis courts, and soccer fields. Contributing structures are: Caretakers Cottage (1889); Lincoln Parkway Bridge (1900), designed by Green and Wicks; Rose Garden Pergola (1912); Stone Bridge (ca. 1887), the only remaining structure from the original Olmsted plan; Parkside Lodge (1914); Rumsey Shelter (1900); Main Zoo Building (1935–1940); Shelter House (ca. 1900); and Elephant House (ca. 1912). Located north of the park are the

Parkside East Historic District Parkside East Historic District is a national historic district located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. The district is architecturally and historically significant for its association with the 1876 Parks and Parkways Plan for the city o ...

and Parkside West Historic District and to the south are the Elmwood Historic District–East and Elmwood Historic District–West, all listed on the

Statue of David

The park is home to an exact replica of Michelangelo's David. It is 18 feet tall and weighs 3000 pounds. The statue was dedicated in 1903, one of only three bronze replicas made of the original sculpture. At one time it included a fig leaf, which was not present in the original; this was later removed so David can be viewed in all his glory. When the statue was rededicated in 2013, it was given a new plaque which corrected the spelling of the artist's name from Michael Angelo to Michelangelo.

Gates Circle

Originally Chapin Place, a plot measuring at the intersection of Delaware Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, and Chapin Parkway. The circle's center contains a monumental sunken

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

constructed in 1904.

Chapin Parkway

Connects Gates Circle and Soldier's Place; in length.

Soldier's Place

Consists of an area in diameter at the juncture of Bidwell Parkway, Lincoln Parkway, Bird Avenue, and Chapin Parkway.

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

's William R. Heath House (1904) overlooks the circle at Bird Avenue.

Lincoln Parkway

A , thoroughfare, connecting Soldier's Place to Delaware Park; in length.

Bidwell Parkway

A , thoroughfare, connecting Colonial Circle to Soldier's Place; in length. At its intersection with Soldier's Place is a large bronze sculpture by Larry Griffiths titled ''Birds in Flight'' (1980).

Colonial Circle

Formerly Bidwell Place; a plot, , at the intersection of Richmond Avenue, Bidwell Parkway, and Lafayette Avenue. The circle's center contains an equestrian statue of General Daniel D. Bidwell.

Richmond Avenue

Originally The Avenue; connects Symphony Circle to Colonial Circle; wide and in length. It traverses Ferry Circle at West Ferry Street.

Ferry Circle

A circle at the intersection of West Ferry Street, Massachusetts Street, and Richmond Avenue.

Symphony Circle

Originally known as just The Circle. A , circle at the juncture of Porter Avenue with Richmond Avenue, North Street, Pennsylvania Street, and Wadsworth Street. Due south of the circle lies First Presbyterian Church, Buffalo's oldest congregation. Kleinhans Music Hall is located on the southeast side of the circle; it was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1989. The circle is located within the Allentown Historic District.

Porter Avenue

A former city street incorporated into the parks system; connects Symphony Circle to Columbus Park and Front Park.

Columbus Park

Formerly Prospect Park; located at the intersection of Niagara Street and Porter Avenue; the site of the Connecticut Street Armory. The park is located adjacent to D'Youville College and is home to a branch of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. The Shelter House (ca. 1908) is a contributing structure.

Front Park

Formerly The Front; a park located at the beginning of the

Niagara River The Niagara River ( ) flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, forming part of the border between Ontario, Canada, to the west, and New York, United States, to the east. The origin of the river's name is debated. Iroquoian scholar Bruce T ...

and overlooking

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

. The park is home to the U.S. entrance to the

Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge over the Niagara River between Canada and the United States, located just north of the river's source at the east end of Lake Erie about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in ...

, erected in 1927 on the site of the former Fort Porter, and includes baseball diamonds, large open playing fields, and tennis courts. The park contains a monument to Commodore

Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was a United States Navy officer from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and Captain Christo ...

. The Picnic Shelter (ca. 1900) is a contributing structure.

References

External links

Delaware Park
- Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Olmsted Parks in Buffalo
from Stanton M. Broderick
Buffalo as an Architectural Museum, "Municipal Parks and City Planning: Frederick Law Olmsted's Buffalo Park and Parkway System,"
by Francis R. Kowsky, Reprinted with permission from the ''Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians'', March 1987.
The Best Planned City An online film about Frederick Law Olmsted and the Buffalo Park SystemShort video of the Bidwell ParkwayNational Archives Catalog
- National Archives record for Delaware Park - Front Park System {{DEFAULTSORT:Delaware Park-Front Park System Geography of Buffalo, New York Baseball venues in New York (state) Cross country running courses in New York (state) Golf clubs and courses in New York (state) Soccer venues in New York (state) Tennis venues in New York (state) Tourist attractions in Buffalo, New York Parks in Erie County, New York Historic districts in Buffalo, New York Frederick Law Olmsted works Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Buffalo, New York