Pope Park Revival

November 17, 2004

HARTFORD -- Though it was part of the "rain of parks" that graced Hartford 's periphery a century ago, Pope Park was often forgotten as the 20th century wore on and neighborhood factories closed. Some of the parkland was lost to highway construction, and its riverbank was lost when the Park River was buried.

While high-powered groups restored other parks, Pope Park languished.

Thankfully, it languishes no longer.

In the past half-dozen years, two support groups, the Pope Hartford Designated Fund and the Friends of Pope Park, have joined forces with other local groups to restore this Olmsted-designed gem.

They've just released an updated master plan from landscape architect Carol R. Johnson Associates of Boston. It calls for restoring some of the park's historic elements, including the original pathway system, removing a road from the middle of the park, improving connections to surrounding neighborhoods, establishing more recreational opportunities and recapturing abandoned or unused areas. One community leader said the restoration of the gardens would mean that neighborhood residents wouldn't have to go to Elizabeth Park for wedding photos.

The groups hope to push ahead next spring with the first project, a new entrance at Park Street and Park Terrace. The restoration of the park will not only provide recreation and a more attractive neighborhood, it will likely increase real estate values.

The land for the park was donated to the city by Col. Albert Pope for use by the thousands of factory workers who lived in the neighborhood and had no such amenity. Pope understood that happy and healthy workers would make better Columbia bicycles and Pope Hartford automobiles. There's something to be said even today for enlightened self-interest. Appropriately, two of Pope's descendants, Albert Pope and Leavitt Pope, serve on the board of the Pope Hartford Designated Fund.