Rahway River Park

Rahway River Park, Job #07173, Union County, NJ

Olmsted Archives

Quick Facts

Location:

Union County, NJ

Significance:

Olmsted Designed Park

MANAGED BY:

Union County Department of Parks and Recreation

Upon the creation of the Union County Park System, Park Commissioners engaged Olmsted Brothers to create a county-wide park system. In addition to urban and suburban parks, the park system also included a reservation and a series of parkways along Elizabeth and Rahway River.

Rahway River Park was developed by Olmsted Brothers firm partner Percival Gallagher from 1921 to 1929. Rahway River Park, and all the parks in the Union County Park System got their inspiration from their neighbor, the Essex County Park System, also designed by the Olmsted firm.

Rahway River Park is one of the four neighborhood parks in the entire Union County Park System. At the end of Olmsted Brothers’ involvement, a pool and bathhouse were being constructed on the southwestern section of the park. Installed by the Works Progress Administration, the swimming pool was among the first such pools in a public park in the United States.

Source: "Rahway River Park," The Cultural Landscape Foundation

For more information and primary resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Olmsted Archives on Flickr