The Pond at Bushnell Park in Hartford, Connecticut. The skyscrapers of downtown Hartford, including its signature Traveler’s Tower are seen in the distance.

Bushnell Park located in Hartford, Connecticut is the oldest publicly funded park in the country. It was designed to replace tanneries and garbage dumps along the Park River on the edge of downtown Hartford. The park has grown considerably since it was created in 1861. The distintive Soldiers and Sailors Arch was added and land was used in the extreme south of the park for Connecticut's new state capital building. In the 1940's the Park River was buried in underground conduits to control flooding, taking a main feature from the park. The Bushnell Park pond was added to return water to the park. Today Bushnell Park is a focal point of downtown Hartford and Connecticut state government. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... State nickname: The Constitution State Other U.S. States Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) Official languages English Area 14,371 km² (48th)  - Land 12,559 km²  - Water 1,809 km² (12. ...