{"id":3366,"date":"2026-07-30T16:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T20:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patersonhistory.com\/?page_id=3366"},"modified":"2026-07-30T16:33:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T20:33:36","slug":"eastside-park-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/patersonhistory.com\/index.php\/eastside-park-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastside Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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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<\/strong>, it occupies approximately 66 acres<\/strong> on Paterson’s Eastside and serves as the centerpiece of the Eastside Park Historic District<\/span><\/span><\/span>, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.<\/p>\n

Origins<\/h2>\n

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

In 1881, prominent Paterson industrialist Henry B. Crosby<\/strong> proposed creating a municipal park system. The largest and most desirable tract available belonged to Civil War veteran Colonel Andrew Derrom<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

The Design Competition<\/h2>\n

Paterson held a competition to design both Eastside and Westside Parks.<\/p>\n

Two distinguished landscape architects submitted plans:<\/p>\n