Bushnell Park
National Register of Historic Places

Bushnell Park

Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
Listed
October 21, 1970
Type
Site
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
70000692

About this property

Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut is the second oldest publicly funded park in the United States, after Boston Common, which was established in 1634, and converted to a park in the 1830’s. Bushnell Park was conceived by the Reverend Horace Bushnell in the mid-1850s at a time when the need for open public spaces was just starting to be recognized. Today the park comprises 50 acres (20 ha) of green space, and is visited by over one million people each year. Paths through the park contribute to the East Coast Greenway.

Location

Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
41.76573, -72.67952

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTRELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Battles

Hartford Convention (Political / Military Context)
1814Early Republic
0.3 mi
Connecticut Valley Late Woodland Conflicts
1200Pre-Columbian
0.3 mi
Connecticut River Valley Warfare
1350Pre-Columbian
0.7 mi
Wethersfield Raid (Pequot War 1637)
1637Colonial
3.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bushnell Park listed on the National Register?

Bushnell Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Bushnell Park?

Bushnell Park is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bushnell Park?

The period of significance for Bushnell Park is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1634.

Can I research the history near Bushnell Park?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bushnell Park will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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