Jump to content

Orton Park

Coordinates: 43°04′51″N 89°21′47″W / 43.08083°N 89.36306°W / 43.08083; -89.36306
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Orton Park
Plaque and sign at the park.
Map
Location1100 Spaight St., Madison, Wisconsin
Coordinates43°04′51″N 89°21′47″W / 43.08083°N 89.36306°W / 43.08083; -89.36306
Area3.5 acres (1.4 ha)
Opened1887 (1887)
EtymologyHarlow S. Orton
Orton Park
NRHP reference No.78000091[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 18, 1978

Orton Park is a public park located at 1100 Spaight Street in Madison, Wisconsin.[2]

History

[edit]

The land was designated as a public cemetery in 1846, the same year Madison was chartered as a village. Madison quickly outgrew the cemetery, and by the 1850s the Common Council was already looking for a larger site. In 1877, the graves located at the site were moved to Forest Hill Cemetery.[3]

The site officially opened as a park in 1887, making it the first public park in Madison. Other proposals for the site included a beer garden and a hospital. It was named after Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Harlow S. Orton. The park has hosted neighborhood events since its creation; these originally included concerts and ice cream socials, and have more recently included a farmer's market and neighborhood festival.[3]

The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978.[1] It is located within the Orton Park Historic District, which is also listed on the National Register.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ "Orton Park". City of Madison. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Mollenhoff, Leigh H. (March 1, 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Orton Park". National Archives Catalog. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved May 29, 2023.