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North Jersey History Center Online Exhibits

Burnham Park

Burnham Park – Fun for Every Season

Burnham Park was deeded to the Town of Morristown in 1911 by the Burnham Family “as a place of recreation where tired families could go and enjoy the boating, fishing, etc. that the ponds afforded and the pleasures of the quiet woods”. The park soon grew to include a swimming pool and beach, a recreation field, tennis courts, a playground, a fireplace and chimney for “picnic parties” and a baseball diamond. The park’s three ponds provided both swimming in the summer and ice skating in the winter months.

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Burnham Park, Group at Swimming Pool

August 19, 1928, Curtiss Photo Collection

In the 1920s, Mayor Clyde Potts, a professional civil engineer, designed the Burnham Park pool. Construction crews dredged the third pond on the Burnham property and created a sloped swimming area, with a sand bottom that extended to 10 feet at its deepest point, complete with a diving board and large raft. Also featured was a wading pool for children, a sand beach, and two bath houses. The lifeguards and beachgoers pictured in this photo are wearing long bathing suits typical of the time period.

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Burnham Park Swimming Pool

July 7, 1929, Curtiss Photo Collection

The Burnham Park Pool opened on Sunday, August 5, 1928. As one reporter wrote, “It seemed as if everyone in Morristown went swimming yesterday”. Nearly 200 swimmers were in the pool at any one time, all likely to escape a four-day heat wave that had raised temperatures over ninety degrees. The new swimming hole provided cool relief during the summer in a time before most residents owned air conditioning at home.

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Burnham Park Ice Carnival, Ray Taylor, Cup Winner for Half-mile Race

February 22, 1926, Curtiss Photo Collection

Burnham Park’s ponds provided local recreation in the winter months in the form of ice skating. One winner of the 1926 Skating Carnival was Ray Taylor, pictured above with his trophy.