Eastside Park

Eastside Park is one of Paterson’s most significant historic landscapes and is regarded as one of the finest examples of late nineteenth-century urban park planning in New Jersey. Originally known as Washington Park, it occupies approximately 66 acres on Paterson’s Eastside and serves as the centerpiece of the Eastside Park Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Origins

During the 1870s and 1880s, Paterson’s rapid industrial growth created a demand for public parks where residents could escape the crowded mill districts.

In 1881, prominent Paterson industrialist Henry B. Crosby proposed creating a municipal park system. The largest and most desirable tract available belonged to Civil War veteran Colonel Andrew Derrom, whose estate occupied rolling farmland on the city’s east side. After years of public debate, the New Jersey Legislature authorized the creation of the Paterson Parks Commission in 1889. The city purchased approximately 66 acres, including the Derrom and Charles E. Van Buren estates, for $75,000, establishing what became Eastside Park.

The Design Competition

Paterson held a competition to design both Eastside and Westside Parks.

Two distinguished landscape architects submitted plans:

• John Y. Culyer won the competition for Eastside Park.
• Frederick Law Olmsted won the competition for Westside Park.

Culyer had worked under Olmsted as an assistant engineer on both Central Park and Prospect Park. His design reflected the ideals of the City Beautiful Movement, emphasizing:

• Curving roads and walking paths
• Broad lawns
• Native trees and shrubs
• Naturalistic landscaping
• Open scenic vistas

Although Olmsted did not design Eastside Park, his influence is evident throughout Culyer’s plan.

Development of the Park

Between 1899 and World War I, Eastside Park became one of New Jersey’s premier urban parks.

Features included:

• Large open lawns
• Tree-lined promenades
• Flower gardens
• A bandstand and pavilion
• Picnic areas
• A stable
• A cricket clubhouse
• Tennis and athletic facilities

The park hosted:

• Summer concerts
• Civic celebrations
• Political rallies
• School activities
• Athletic competitions

It quickly became Paterson’s principal gathering place.

Cricket and Baseball

One of Eastside Park’s most distinctive features was its cricket field.

During the late nineteenth century, Paterson had a large English immigrant population, making cricket one of the city’s most popular sports.

A wooden cricket clubhouse burned in 1899 and was replaced in 1900 by the stone clubhouse that still stands today. Baseball later shared the same grounds, reflecting the growing popularity of America’s national pastime.

Women’s Comfort Station

Among the park’s most notable historic structures is the Women’s Comfort Station, constructed in the early twentieth century to provide:

• Restrooms
• Shelter during storms
• Seating areas
• Facilities for mothers and children

It remains one of the few surviving examples of this type of municipal park building in New Jersey.

The Eastside Neighborhood

The creation of Eastside Park transformed surrounding farmland into one of Paterson’s most prestigious residential districts.

Industrialists, silk manufacturers, bankers, physicians, and civic leaders built impressive homes around the park featuring:

• Colonial Revival architecture
• Tudor Revival homes
• Classical Revival mansions
• Craftsman residences

By 1915, more than 500 architecturally significant buildings surrounded the park, creating one of New Jersey’s finest planned residential neighborhoods.

Twentieth Century

Like many American cities, Paterson experienced industrial decline after World War II.

The surrounding neighborhood changed dramatically, and several park features disappeared, including:

• Formal gardens
• Decorative pathways
• Arbors
• Original landscape plantings

Fortunately, the park retained its overall layout and several important historic buildings, preserving much of Culyer’s original vision.

Historic Recognition

Recognizing its historical and architectural importance, Eastside Park and the surrounding neighborhood were listed on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 2004.

Today the park is recognized as:

• One of New Jersey’s finest nineteenth-century public parks.
• A companion to Paterson’s Westside Park.
• An important example of the City Beautiful movement.
• A significant work associated with the Olmsted school of landscape architecture.

Historic Structures Still Standing

Several historic buildings remain within the park:

• The Cricket Clubhouse
• The Women’s Comfort Station (Pavilion)
• The Horse Stable
• Additional historic service buildings associated with the original park design

These structures are among the last surviving architectural elements from the park’s original development around 1900.

Timeline

Eastside Park remains one of Paterson’s greatest civic achievements, preserving a landscape that reflects the city’s industrial prosperity and the national movement to create beautiful, healthful public spaces for all residents.