Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-19
HARRISBURG IDEA IS
ADOPTED BY TRENTON
[Continued from First Pagel

AS1u III Ouioih6 dflCi thC oCSi6ho Va
recognized landscape and engineering
experts.
Mayor Donnelly's article in part fol-
lows:
standing out pre-eminently, how
ever as monumental tribute to the
eff1cacy of government by commission
Is the present and contemplated
esthetical development of the city, es-
pecfally along its water front. For Its
entire length Trenton is bordered by
the Delaware river, and under pro-
short Of the city, without Interrupt
ton, will be developed for park and
commercial purposes. This develop
ment will extend from the southern
city line to the northern boundary
and will covr a distance of approx
tely five linear miles.
THE City Commission has adopted
the scheme as its pet project and.
realizing the untold possibilities of
such development. has been careful
to fortify itself with the most expert
William F. Burk, director of parks
and public buildings is shouldering the
responsibility of having these plans
brought to fruition, but the entire
commission is profoundly interested in
the project and is busily engagd in
creating the necessary enthusiasm
among citizens for the carrying out of
the plans.
Designs by Experts
For years i have agttated the adop-
tion of comprehensive plan for city
development along systematic lines,
and L am confident that the develop
ment will be successfully carried out
within the next few years without
placing an unjustifiable burden on the
taxpayers of Trenton.
In the formulation of plans for the
esthetic development of the city, the
commission has consulted with several
of the country's foremost landscape
artists and engineers, Olmstead Broth
ers, of Boston. and Charles w. Leavitt,
of New York. have beer. largely in
strumental in the delineation of-plans
for the suggested improvement.
In connection with this project, the
commission intends to improve the
Lamberton street bluff, which is ma
turally adapted for the creation Of a
magnificent park. This bluff, which
projects into the river. extends from
the southern line of the city to above
Landing street, distance Of about
four city blocks. 1t overlooks the ma
jestic Delaware, and from its heights
commands a beautiful view of the
of Pennsylvania.
This park will extend to the wa
ter's edge, where retaining wall will
be built. From this wall to the chan
mel line there will be an intervening
distance of 80 feet, upon which, in the
future, will be built concrete bulk
heads for terminal purposes and road
ways.
AT the present time the city owns
all of its water front above tidewater,
a distance of approximately three
miles, and we are now negotiating for
the purchase of all of the unimproved
water front at tidewater, which COW
ers a distance of about one mile. We
also own the ends of five streets and
sufficient property at the extreme
head of navigation for the building of
docks and terminals and we
are also condemning other properties
in the same vicinity for similar pur-
poses.
''Te reclamation of this land will
enable us to provide an expansive
boulevard of eighty feet, which will
connect with the State House Park.
The Improvement it is estimated, will
double the present sizes of the lots
of the property owners whose land
will be thus affected; consequently the
city's ratables will be materially in
creased and the value of the adjacent
responsibly advanced.
mately five linear miles.
The boulevard will fill a long-felt
want in this section of Trenton and
will doubtless be one of the city's
beauty adjuncts most sought by pleas
ure seekers. 1t is proposed to take
advantage of this ideal location and
beautify 1t so as to make it popular
for summer strolls and rambles. If
possible, the roadway will be de-
veloped with this aim in view. With
an outlet to the State House Park and
the other extremity leading to the
proposd River Bluff Park, this road
way should at once jump into popu-
larity, especially so because of it's
close proximity to the historic Della
ware.
1.-The next project that follows in
turn is the park in the rear OF the
State Capitol, which the accompany
ing sketch shows in detail. This un-
dertaking, which is the joint pro-
duct of the State of New Jersey and
the city of Trenton, contemplates the
of forty-three acres of
waste lands into beautiful park. The
park will be bordered by the Tren-
ton Water Power to the north, the
Delaware river to the south, on the
east by the Assinpink Creek and on
west by Calhoun street.
This project was started several
years ago, and since then 100000 has
been appropriated by the State of New
Jersey and $4,000 by the city of
Trenton to carry 1t on. General Will
bur F. Sadler, Jr., adjutant of the
State of New Jersey; Chancellor Ed
win Robert Walker and Francis b.
Lee, member of the New Jersey Ar
chives Commission, are deserving of
especial credit for the creation of the
park. They have given unsparingly
Of their time and energy to gain for
the undertaking the consideration 1t
demands, and have put forth COM
nendabe efforts to attach to the pro-
ject the historical significance to which
It is entitled"
Design For Park
The design for this park has been
prepared by Charles w. Lsavitt, a New
York landscape engineer, and has been
adopted wit ha view TO obtaining the
finest result. both artistically, and .prac
being used as the basis of the develop
ment, it is proposed to establish
promenade from which the river and
the Pennsylvania hills beyond can be
viewed with fine effect. Three rows
Of poplar trees, parallel with the wall,
Is more than one-half mile in length.
On this coping ornamental lamps will
be placed, and on the land side of the
walk suitable benches will be arrang-
I'D facing the water. This park will
have several entrances and will be
water power which borders 1t will
probably be tilized as a water garden