For those who walk or run along the park's uncharted trails and pathways and the more solitary areas within the 311 acres; for those who simply bring their little ones to the park's play areas for an afternoons outing, the park is a sanctuary in the open.  The beauty of it all is not accidental.  It did not just happen.  Urban parks in particular, are the result of an open space designer's blueprint.  The brilliant designer of Weequahic Park, as we can all see, designed a magnificent natural preserve that to this day, years later, is unequalled for its breathtaking scenery and the variations of its terrain.  The designers, John Charles Olmstead and his brother were the second generation of landscape architects.  Their father.  Fredrick Law Olmsted, acknowledge as the most prominent American in his field, has his imprint on park and campus areas throughout the country and beyond.

     The Olmsted tradition has stood the test of time, but what is of even more interest is that Fredrick Law Olmsted was also an outspoken anti-slavery advocate.  He deplored slavery and the treatment of blacks in this country and wrote extensively about the subject as a journalist moving around the south.  One can imagine the threats he was exposed to from those who prospered from the institution of slavery and the exploitation of black people.  His book entitled, The Cotton Kingdom, was admired by the great Black Muslim leader, Malcolm X, who said Olmsted inspired him.

      After his journalistic experience, Olmsted went into the publishing business.  When he found publishing unprofitable, and needed to earn a living, it was suggested by an architect friend that they entered a completion for designing New York's Central Park.  The design they submitted, influenced by Olmsted's European travel and studies was chosen the winner.  A career was begun.  From his headquarters in Brookline, Massachusetts, he affected the leisure time of all Americans.  Today, Central Park is managed by a private organization - The Central Park Conservancy.  It is the model for the Weequahic Park Association (WPA) in its park restoration efforts.  Park management by community organization, such as the WPA, is a growing trend in America.

    John Charles Olmsted, having inherited the creative genius of his father, conceptualized Weequahic Park from land that was at the time known as the Waverly Fairgrounds.  The present Olmsted generation continues to develop landscapes, and through their work, expand American's consciousness of the need to preserve and protect our natural resources.  Their legacy is exemplified in Newark's open space gem - Weequahic Park.