Hubbard Park (Meriden, Connecticut)
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Hubbard Park
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Entrance to the park (from a 1913 postcard)
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| Location | Meriden, Connecticut |
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| Coordinates | 41°33′45″N 72°50′5″W / 41.56250°N 72.83472°WCoordinates: 41°33′45″N 72°50′5″W / 41.56250°N 72.83472°W |
| Area | 1,803 acres (730 ha) |
| Architect | Quigley, Peter J.; Stuart, David, et al. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Colonial Revival, Rustic |
| NRHP Reference # | 97001466 |
| Added to NRHP | December 15, 1997 |
Hubbard Park, located in the Hanging Hills of Connecticut, is a wooded, mountainous park located just outside the city center of Meriden, Connecticut. It comprises approximately 1,800 acres (7.3 km2) of carefully kept woodlands, streams, dramatic cliff faces, flower gardens, and the James Barry bandshell and picnic spots, as well as its showpiece, Mirror Lake. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Most of the land was given to the town by Walter Hubbard, president of the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company. In his donation, the land was given outright, with the stipulation that everything connected with the park was to remain free of charge for the people of Meriden, and that no concessions for profit were ever allowed within the park area.
Hubbard spent a great deal of time and energy creating the park. He personally spent between $400,000 and $500,000 to clear land, build roads, and construct Mirror Lake with the help of Frederick Law Olmsted, who is best known for designing New York City's Central Park. Hubbard built a tower on East Peak, known as Castle Craig, to resemble the towers built by the Turks along the Danube River in the 12th century.
According to local folklore, Hubbard Park is said to be haunted by the ghostly presence of the Black Dog of the Hanging Hills (see Hanging Hills).
Hubbard Park is nestled within the Hanging Hills, a dramatic trap rock mountain ridge overlooking the city of Meriden and the Quinnipiac River Valley 900 feet (274 m) below. Two of the peaks are located within the park, South Mountain at 767 feet (234 m), and East Peak, at 976 feet (297 m). West Peak, at 1,024 feet (312 m), is located just outside the park boundary to the west. Considered particularly scenic are Merimere Reservoir (punctuated with Mine Island) and Mirror Lake, nestled between South Mountain and East Peak.
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