Originally the Old Horseneck Tract purchased from the Sagamore Indians in 1701. Incorporated in 1793, it once encompassed portions of Livingston, Roseland, Essex Fells, and Verona.

HOST COMMUNITY - ESSEX FELLS

Largely formed from the estate of General William Gould and conceived in the late 1800's. Ernest W. Bowditch planned the overall community concept shortly after 1889. Originally part of Caldwell, it was incorporated as a borough in 1902.

ACREAGE
41.48

LOCATION
Brookside Ave. & Runnymede Rd., Essex Fells
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HISTORIC PROFILE

A GAME OF SHUFFLEBOARD, 1959

THE OLD BRIDGE, 1962

Grover Cleveland Park, the seventh largest park in the county park system, is a heavily wooded park of 41.48 acres located in the western section of Essex County along the Caldwell-Essex Fells border line. It is bounded by Runnymede Road, Brookside Avenue, and the abandoned Erie Railroad. The setting of this park is that of a formal design with manicured lawns, well-spaced large trees, three acres of waterways, including Pine Brook Creek, which runs through the park feeding a small pond at the lower end. A small footbridge at the far end of the pond marks the location of a former sawmill which at one time was used for grinding tanbark to make paper.

The park was acquired between 1913 and 1916 and is named after President Grover Cleveland who was born in Caldwell, and was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.

The Olmsted Brothers were asked to develop a park plan designed to make a large portion of the area usable for recreation purposes. By the summer of 1914, improvements were underway which included tennis courts, baseball fields, a playground, sand court, wading pool and a shelter house to service these facilities. The park improvements were completed in 1916.

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CURRENT IMPROVEMENTS

• Installation of new equipment and rubberized safety surface in playground
Cost: $351,153 Completed in 2003

• Replacement of Runnymede Road Bridge
Cost: $490,000 Completed in 2003
• Park beautification and path paving
Cost: $150,505 Completed in 2004
• Renovation of Children's House and tennis courts
Cost: $896,974 Completed in 2004
• Skate house is modernized, pond is upgraded and baseball field is renovated
Cost: $825,935 Status: Completed in 2006
• Modernization of banks, spillway and weirs of Pine Brook
Cost: $722,653 Completed in 2011

 

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DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

• Four foot bridges connect the two areas of the park divided by the stream.
• Lighted tennis courts.
• Fieldhouse.
• Baseball field.
• Playground.
• Fishing.
• Jogging walkways.
• Picnic grove.
• Ice skating.

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DRIVING DIRECTIONS

From New Jersey: Take Route 280 West to Exit 6B/Laurel Avenue. Turn left onto Eagle Rock Avenue. Bear right at the fork in the road to Harrison Avenue. Turn right onto Roseland Avenue. Turn left onto Runnymede Road. Turn right onto Brookside Avenue. Park is on the right.

From New York: George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South. Take Exit 15W for Route 280 West. Follow above directions.

Use the intersection of “Runnymede Road and Brookside Avenue” when obtaining driving directions from the Internet.

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