Washington Park, Dubuque

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For other uses, please see Washington Park (disambiguation)

Washington Park is a small park located in downtown Dubuque, Iowa, USA. The park is located on a parcel of land between 6th and 7th Streets to the north and south, and Bluff and Locust streets to the west and east. The park is located between the local post office and the Dubuque Museum of Art.

[edit] History

The block where Washington Park is located today was one of the original 35 blocks platted out by surveyor G.W. Harrison in 1833 when the city was first founded. From the beginning the land was set aside for public use. The first church and first jail were located on this land. In 1857 the area was designated as Washington Park.

In 1877 the city council had all the buildings on that block torn down. Shrubs and flowers were planted, walkways were established, and a 40-foot-high Oriental gazebo was built on the grounds for $200. This gazebo, which was built by local architects Fridolin Heer and Edward Eaescher was widely viewed as one of the finest pavilions in the area. On August 24, 1877 approximately 2,000 people attended the formal dedication of the park.

In 1878 a public drinking fountain was erected in the park. The city paid for half the cost, with the remaining half covered by private donations. A statue of Dr. Henry Cogswell was placed on top of this drinking fountain. Cogswell had promised the city that he would donate a statue for the fountain - which was supposed to be of a local heroine who had walked some distance to stop a train before it could come to a washed out bridge and derail. When the statue was uncovered for the first time, it turned out to be a statue of Cogswell. The statue remained in place until 1900, when a group of vandals pulled the statue down and buried it under what would be a new sidewalk. The following day the new sidewalk was poured which entombed the object. The water fountain was gone by 1912, however the statue is rumoured to still be buried under a sidewalk at the park.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the gazebo was gone. Later, during the 1970's the park underwent a $60,000 restoration. New trees, flowers, and shrubs were planted. New lights crafted to look like antique gas lamps were placed in the park. A new steel 3/4 size replica of the original gazebo built by Bradley Iron Works was placed on the site.

During the summer of 2005 Washington Park underwent further improvements. The streets surrounding the park have been rebuilt, and the walkways in and around the park have been replaced. Lampposts designed to look like late 19th and early 20th century models have also been placed in and around the park.