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synopsis

Named after Dr. Thomas Caldwalder, the 109.5-acre park was originally a private estate. Subsequently owned by architect Henry McCall, and later George Farley, the property was purchased by the City of Trenton in 1888 for use as a public park. Three years later in 1891, Frederick Law Olmsted created a plan for the park.

Named after Dr. Thomas Caldwalder, the 109.5-acre park was originally a private estate. Subsequently owned by architect Henry McCall, and later George Farley, the property was purchased by the City of Trenton in 1888 for use as a public park. Three years later in 1891, Frederick Law Olmsted created a plan for the park. Olmsted’s design worked around the existing and centrally located Ellarslie mansion, which would later become the town’s local history museum. The entrance to the park featured a stone bridge over the bordering Delaware and Raritan Canal. A concert grove, carriage road, and several pedestrian paths served to connect the expansive green space.

In the early 1900s, the Olmsted Firm also created plans for a nearby residential subdivision called the Cadwalader Estates (see job 01170).

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