Harkness Memorial State Park

Harkness Memorial State Park is a historic preservation area with botanical garden and recreational features located on Long Island Sound in the town of Waterford, Connecticut. The state park's 304 acres (123 ha) center around Eolia, a 42-room Renaissance Revival mansion with formal gardens and greenhouses. The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.[3]

Harkness Memorial State Park
The mansion and gardens from above
Location in Connecticut
LocationWaterford, Connecticut, United States
Coordinates41°18′18″N 72°06′48″W[1]
Area304 acres (123 ha)[2]
Elevation30 ft (9.1 m)[1]
DesignationConnecticut state park
Established1950
AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
WebsiteHarkness Memorial State Park
Eolia—The Harkness Estate
LocationGreat Neck Road, Waterford, Connecticut
Area220 acres (89 ha)
Built1906-1907
ArchitectLord & Hewlett; et al.
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.86003331
Added to NRHPNovember 20, 1986

History

The park was the former summer home of philanthropists Edward and Mary Harkness, who inherited the fortune created by Edward's father, Stephen V. Harkness, who was a substantial investor in John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil. The mansion was designed by the New York architectural firm of Lord & Hewlett and constructed in 1906-1907. From 1918 to 1929, landscape designer Beatrix Jones Farrand made extensive improvements to the grounds, adding numerous formal gardens. The estate was left to the state by Mary Harkness in 1950 and became part of the state park system in 1952. Eolia—The Harkness Estate was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as a 220-acre (89 ha) historic district with 15 contributing buildings and two other contributing structures.[4]

Activities and amenities

The park offers mansion tours, picnicking, and shoreline fishing as well as private event rentals.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Harkness Memorial State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A-2. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  3. "Harkness Memorial State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. September 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  4. Clouette, Bruce (April 7, 1986). "Eolia—The Harkness Estate". National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved October 26, 2012. and accompanying photos from 1985 and 1986
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