BELVIDERE, NJ (Warren County) – The new gazebo in Garret D. Wall Park received an official ribbon-cutting Wednesday, as the Warren County Board of County Commissioners opened the newest addition to what was the very first county park.
The “public square” in front of the Warren County Courthouse is named for the man who donated land for the courthouse and the park in front of it – as well as three churches on the other three sides of the park.
Garret Dorset Wall (1783-1850) was a military officer in the War of 1812, a state Assemblyman, US Senator, and the namesake of Wall Township in Monmouth County. His intention to donate the public lands to the newly-formed county in 1825 is thought to have been a major impetus for siting the county seat in Belvidere and the town’s rapid expansion in the mid-1800s, and the park was intended to be open to all.
The 14-foot by 20-foot gazebo was constructed off-site and delivered recently, its pagoda-style roof installed once the structure was placed on a bed of crushed stone.
“We’re very excited. It adds great character to the park,” Commissioner Director Lori Ciesla said after she and her colleagues, Commissioners James R. Kern III and Jason J. Sarnoski, used oversized scissors to slice through a red ribbon to dedicate the structure.
Joining the commissioners were Belvidere Mayor Kathleen Miers, town Council President Laurel Napolitani, Council members Tammy Koop and Joseph Roth, and Town Clerk Teresa Yeisley, as well as county Public Works Director Emily Hammer, who spearheaded the project.
“It going to enrich every event that’s held in the park from here on in,” Roth said. “It’s such a beautiful addition, and people are going to cherish it for a long, long time.”
“We’re just hoping that people will use it for their events, to get married in here. It’s great for pictures,” Ciesla said.
A construction crew from the Roads Division of the county Department of Public Works did the site preparation work, Hammer said. The location of the gazebo was very purposeful, she explained, as it sits in the middle of the four-acre park, facing the front of the historic courthouse.
“We wanted to have a focal point, a stage for performances and talks, and a place the public could enjoy. The county Shade Tree Commission was involved in determining the placement of the gazebo with the work planned to not disrupt existing trees and areas planned for future planting,” Hammer said.
“This beautification project is part of a larger plan the county has been implementing for streetscape improvements around the courthouse,” Hammer said.
Past work includes period-style street lamps, crushed stone paths that cross the park, and tinted concrete sidewalks that evoke the blue stone sidewalks of yesteryear, Hammer said.
