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 Corbin Park - Spokane, WA Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 47° 41.116 W 117° 25.230
11T E 468442 N 5281405
Five blocks long and a single block deep, Corbin Park was first laid out by mining and railroad magnate, Daniel Chase Corbin, in 1899. Prior to this the site was the city’s first fairgrounds and racetrack.
Waymark Code: WMTE6F
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 11/09/2016
Views: 2
In 1902, Corbin deeded the park to the City of Spokane and in about 1909 a more formal design was desired, which resulted in the hiring of landscape Architects, the Olmsted Brothers, of Brookline, Massachusetts. Their design, unfortunately, has been altered substantially over the years, with much of the park appearing substantially different than it did prior to 1930.
Amenities in the 11.50 acre park include tennis courts, a basketball court, a ball diamond, Horseshoe pitches, Picnic Tables, Playground Equipment and Restrooms. Two of the restrooms are historic basalt structures, while a third, also basalt, was added later. The park is the focus of the Corbin Park Historic District, a National Register historic place.
THE PARK
As originally developed under D.C. Corbin's supervision,
a double row of elm trees circled the park, one row on each side of
the street. Presumably these trees were planted with the knowledge
that they would arch across the roadways in a manner reminiscent
of the elm-covered lanes Corbin knew as a boy in New England. Within the park there was a small creek and a pond, carriage roads, paths, lawn, trees, shrubs, and flower gardens. In 1902, Corbin deeded the park to the City of Spokane, and about 1909 a more formal design was adopted and carried out. This design was prepared by the Olmsted Brothers, Landscape Architects, of Brookline, Massachusetts.
The Olmsteds had a significant impact on the development of the park systems in the Seattle and Spokane areas. The time period during which these two cities were developing special areas as parks coincided with the active design period for the Olmsted Brothers.
The park today is primarily an expanse of lawn with a large assortment of tree species ranging from a native pine and other
conifers to ginkos to the old elms. The assortment of trees is
excellent for a park of this size. A silviculture plan is being
implemented and many new trees are being planted to restructure the double ring of elm trees located originally on the outer perimeter of the park.
Scattered through the park now, in addition to the two original
basalt buildings, are a park storage/bathroom facility, a wooden
dumpster shelter, stationary barbeque braziers and park picnic
tables, a baseball diamond, a basketball court, tennis court, and a
wide assortment of playground equipment.
From the NRHP Nomination Form
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Original Olmstead Plan for Corbin Park |
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Corbin Park Today |
Type of Public Space: Municipal Park
Job Number: 03099
Architect: Olmsted Brothers
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Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the park to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.
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