Van Vorst Park facts for kids
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Van Vorst Park Historic District
(Boundary Increase) |
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 Location in Hudson County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Mercer, Wayne, Montgomery, Grove, Bright, Varick and Monmouth Streets, Jersey City, New Jersey |
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| Area | 7.7 acres (3.1 ha) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000084 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 11, 1984 |
Van Vorst Park is a well-known neighborhood in the Historic Downtown area of Jersey City, New Jersey. It is named after the park at its center. This neighborhood is west of Marin Boulevard, north of Grand Street, east of the Turnpike Extension, and south of The Village. A large part of the neighborhood is protected as the Van Vorst Park Historic District. This means the buildings and area are important to history and are kept special.
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History of Van Vorst Park
The park was a main part of Van Vorst Township. A township is a type of local government area. This township existed in Hudson County from 1841 to 1851. The New Jersey government officially created Van Vorst Township on April 12, 1841. It was formed from parts of Bergen Township. On March 18, 1851, Van Vorst Township became part of Jersey City.
The name Van Vorst comes from an important family in the area. The first family member arrived in the 1630s. He was in charge of a large land area called Pavonia. This was the first European settlement on the west side of the Hudson River in the old province of New Netherland. His home, along with other settlements, later became part of Bergen.
A later family member, Cornelius Van Vorst, was the twelfth Mayor of Jersey City. A mayor is the leader of a city. He served from 1860 to 1862.
Neighborhood Buildings and Places
Like other areas nearby, this neighborhood has many old buildings. You can see nineteenth-century rowhouses and brownstones. Rowhouses are homes built in a row, sharing side walls. Brownstones are a type of rowhouse made from a reddish-brown stone.
The neighborhood is home to the Jersey City Medical Center, which is a hospital. It also has James J. Ferris High School. This school is named after James J. Ferris, a local person who helped build the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse. You can also find the Old Colony Shopping Plaza here.
Important landmarks in the area include Barrow Mansion, Dixon Mills, the main building of the Jersey City Public Library, Jersey City City Hall, and the Heppenheimer Mansion.
For getting around, the Grove Street PATH station is nearby to the north. The Jersey Avenue (HBLR station) is to the south. PATH and HBLR are types of train systems that help people travel in the area.
Street Names
Many street names in the neighborhood honor important people from the 1700s and 1800s. For example, Colden Street is named for Cadwallader D. Colden. Varick Street is for Richard Varick. Colgate Street is for William Colgate, who started the company Colgate-Palmolive.
Other streets are named after military leaders from the American Revolution. These include Montgomery Street for Richard Montgomery, Mercer Street for Hugh Mercer, Wayne Street for Anthony Wayne, and Greene Street for Nathanael Greene.
Van Vorst Park Features
Van Vorst Park is a two-acre city park. It is surrounded by Barrow Street, Montgomery Street, Jersey Avenue, and York Street. The park was updated in 1999. Money for the updates, about two million dollars, was raised by a group called the Friends of Van Vorst Park.
The park is next to 19th-century brownstones and townhouses, including the Heppenheimer Mansion. Inside the park, you will find a large gazebo in the middle. There are also two playgrounds, a splash park for water fun, and a dog park. An old cast iron water fountain is in the western part of the park. The park has lots of grass and paved paths for walking. Team sports like football and soccer are not allowed in the park. The plants and trees in the park are cared for by the community. In 2015, a Citi Bike station was added on Jersey Avenue, making it easy to rent bikes.
Park Events
The park hosts several community events regularly:
- Films in Van Vorst Park: Movies are shown every other Wednesday from June through August in the park's main area.
- Shakespeare in the Park: The Hudson Shakespeare Company performs plays on the second Friday of each summer month as part of their tour.
- Farmer's Market: A market where local farmers sell their goods takes place every Saturday from March to November.
Images for kids
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Van Vorst Park looking southwest to Jersey Avenue
See also
In Spanish: Parque Van Vorst para niños
