Hartford Connecticut Bushnell Park

In Hartford Connecticut Bushnell Park, a statue of Israel Putnam (shown here) overlooks the Capitol building on a crisp, cool summer afternoon.

Bushnell Park is the oldest publicly funded park in America, because in 1853, the Reverend Horace Bushnell presented a novel idea to the people of Hartford: the creation of a public park, financed by public funds. Later that same year, the Hartford City Council voted unanimously to spend $105,000 in public funds on the land that would become Bushnell Park.

Some of the park's original elements, like the Park River and its lovely bridges, have been destroyed by floods, and replaced with more modern features. These days, points of interest at Bushnell Park include the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, the Corning Fountain, a carousel, a performance pavillion, several pretty statues, and a man-made pond.

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