Warinanco Park facts for kids
Warinanco Park is a big, popular park that covers 204 acres. You can find it on St. Georges Avenue, right between the towns of Roselle, New Jersey and Elizabeth. The park is also very close to the Elizabeth River. Locals often say its name as "War-Rah-NINK-co."
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Park History: How It Started
Back in 1921, people in the area were worried. They saw lots of factories being built and wanted to save natural spaces. So, they voted to create the Union County Park Commission. This group's job was to buy and protect beautiful natural areas.
In 1923, a famous design company called the Olmsted Brothers made plans for the park. Their father, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed New York's famous Central Park. The park was first called "Elizabeth Park" but later became "Warinanco."
Warinanco's Name: A Native American Story
This park is known for its lovely green fields and views. It was named in 1925 after a local Lenape tribal leader. His name was recorded by English settlers as "Warinanco" in 1664. That year, a group bought land, including what is now Union County, from Warinanco and another Lenape leader named Mattano.
Warinanco's name was also written as "Waerhinnis Couwee" or "Warrines." People think Warinanco was a minor sachem. A sachem is like a tribal elder or leader for the Hackensack people. The Hackensack people were a group within the larger Lenape tribe.
Fun Features and Landmarks
Warinanco Park has many cool places to explore and enjoy.
Azalea Garden: A Colorful Spot
The Caxton Brown Memorial Azalea Garden is a beautiful place. It's located just south of the main park building. This garden honors Caxton Brown, who lived from 1879 to 1952. He helped start the Union County Park Commission and was a member. The garden has hundreds of plants in many neat garden beds. A special rock and plaque were placed there in 1957 to remember him.
Chatfield Garden: Flowers for Pollinators
The Henry S. Chatfield Memorial Garden is also called the Chatfield Garden. This area first had 14,200 tulips from Holland! They were planted in 21 different beds. Now, the garden has many different kinds of flowers. This helps support pollinators like bees and butterflies all year long.
This garden is named after Henry Summers Chatfield (1864-1933). He was the very first president of the Union County Park Commission. You can find a stone bench in the garden that remembers him.
Historic Park Buildings
The Union County Park Commission Administration Buildings are very old and important. They are listed on both the state and national lists of historic places. This happened in 1985, showing how special they are.
Track and Field: For Sports Lovers
If you love sports, Warinanco Park has a great area for you. There's a 400-meter long track for running. You can also find a long jump track and a space for shot put. Inside the running track is a special field. It has an artificial surface and is perfect for soccer, football, and other games.
Magnolia Grove: Springtime Beauty
Every spring, many flowering magnolia trees bloom here. This area is called the Magnolia Grove. The large number of these beautiful trees brings many visitors to the park.
Warinanco Lake: Boating Fun
Warinanco Lake is a great spot for water activities. There's a dock where you can rent paddleboats. It's a fun way to enjoy the water and see the park from a different view.
Warinanco Park Sports Center: Ice Skating and More
The Warinanco Park Sports Center is a modern place for activities. It includes the Warinanco Ice Rink. The center was made bigger and updated in 2017.
Plants and Animals: Nature in the Park
Warinanco Park is famous for its bright colors in spring. You can see cherry blossoms, dogwood, redbud, and azalea flowers.
The amazing Japanese cherry blossoms around Warinanco Lake are very old. They were first planted in 1931. Caxton Brown and his brother gave these trees to the park.
Some of the trees you might see include:
- Gray birch
- American beech
- Red cedar
- Sweetgum
- Magnolia (planted)
- Norway spruce
- Pine
- White pine
- American sycamore
- Cherry
- White oak
- Pin oak
- Red oak
- Eastern hemlock
- Eastern redbud
Shrubs you might find are:
- Andromeda (planted)
- Rosebay rhododendron (planted)
- Azalea
- Yew
And some of the smaller plants and flowers include:
- Common mugwort
- Tulips (planted)
