Bayard Park Neighborhood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bayard Park Historic District
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The East Branch Library, completed in 1912 and built in the style of Beaux Arts Classicism.
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Gum, Kentucky, Blackford and Garvin Sts., Evansville, Indiana |
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| Area | 87 acres (35 ha) |
| Architect | Anderson & Veatch; Multiple |
| Architectural style | Bungalow, Craftsman, Late Victorian, Carpenter Cottage |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001373 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1985 |
The Bayard Park Neighborhood is a special area in Evansville, Indiana. It's bordered by Lincoln Avenue, US Highway 41, Washington Avenue, and Garvin Street. Inside this neighborhood is the Bayard Park Historic District. This district covers about 87 acres. It includes 335 important buildings and one historic site.
This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The homes here show many cool styles. You can see charming 1890s Queen Anne cottages. There are also cozy bungalows and American Foursquare homes. Some houses even look like early American or English revival styles. The neighborhood also has Evansville's first park and the East Branch Library. This library is a Carnegie library, built with money from the famous helper Andrew Carnegie.
History of Bayard Park
The Bayard Park area started to grow in the late 1800s. This was when the city of Evansville began to spread out to the east. In 1893, the landowners made an important decision. They decided that no businesses could be built in their areas. This rule was written down in their plans. This made Bayard Park the very first planned neighborhood in Evansville.
By 1897, the area officially became part of Evansville. This meant it got city services like water and sewer lines. A public school was also built there. As the 1900s began, many middle-class families moved into the area. Between 1905 and 1915, lots of new homes were built. By the start of the Great Depression, the neighborhood was fully developed.
Bayard Park: The First City Park
Bayard Park is located right inside the neighborhood. It's so important that the whole district is named after it! This park was Evansville's very first neighborhood park. It covers ten acres of land. In 1901, a woman named Mrs. Martha Orr Bayard (1836–1909) gave the land to the city. She wanted it to be a park forever.
She had a few conditions for her gift. The park had to be named after her late husband, Samuel Bayard, who was a banker. She also wanted to be able to design the park's gardens herself. But she also said that the city had to take care of the park.
