Wilcox Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wilcox Park Historic District
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Wilcox Memorial Fountain
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| Location | Westerly, Rhode Island |
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| Architect | Warren H. Maning |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Greek Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000011 |
| Added to NRHP | May 7, 1973 |
Wilcox Park is a beautiful park and special garden for trees (called an arboretum). It covers about 14 acres (5.7 hectares) and is located at 71 ½ High Street in Westerly, Rhode Island. You can visit the park any time for free! Since 1973, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Wilcox Park Historic District. This historic area also includes 84 buildings and houses around the park, covering about 50 acres (20 hectares). It even includes the main post office and the library in Westerly.
Contents
Discovering Wilcox Park's History
Wilcox Park was created thanks to Harriet Wilcox in 1898. She was the wife of Stephen Wilcox. Stephen was an inventor who created a special non-explosive boiler. He also helped start a big engineering company called Babcock & Wilcox. Stephen was a major supporter of the Westerly Library, which is a beautiful building with a Romanesque style. It was built in 1892 and faces the park.
How the Park Was Designed
The park was designed in 1898 by Warren H. Manning. He used to work with a very famous landscape designer named Frederick Law Olmsted. When it was first designed, Wilcox Park mostly had plants that grew naturally in the area. But in the 1960s, people started working to make the park into an arboretum. This means it became a place where many different kinds of trees and plants are grown for study and display.
Special Gardens and Features
Today, Wilcox Park has many cool gardens. You can find a dwarf conifer garden, an herb garden, and even a "garden of the senses." This garden is designed to let you experience plants using all your senses. There's also a perennial garden, which has plants that come back year after year. All these gardens are set off by beautiful stone work made from Westerly granite. This stone work was designed by landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff in 1929-1930.
The park also has several monuments and memorials. One of them is the Wilcox Memorial Fountain, built in 1930. It was designed by John Francis Paramino and honors Harriet and Stephen Wilcox. You can also find a tree planted in memory of the famous boxing champion, Rocky Marciano.
Who Takes Care of the Park?
Wilcox Park is managed by the Westerly Library and the Wilcox Park's Board of Trustees. Both paid staff and volunteers work hard to keep the park looking great. In 2006, there was a plan to bring back some of the park's original look. This included replacing old walkways and lights.
Fun Events at the Park
Wilcox Park is a popular spot for community events. Since 1980, the Chorus of Westerly has held their "Summer Pops" concerts there. You can also enjoy "Shakespeare in the Park" plays put on by the Colonial Theatre.
See also
In Spanish: Parque Wilcox para niños
