It’s Way Back Wednesdays time again! This month I was able to get my hands on copies of images our photography department so wonderfully scanned and that all feature scenes from our park.

The above photograph shows an overall view of the park and lake in 1932, before the museum was even built. It shows the completed project to create boundaries for the park. I enjoy looking at this image because the area around the park has changed so much. In 1932 there was a lot of farmland and now the area is all grown up and incredibly busy.

When the Huntington’s acquired the land for their museum and park, there were a number of residences on the property, including the Gambol House pictured above. The home was built around 1745 and purchased in 1823 by John Gambol, who also purchased what is now known as Causey’s Mill. Unfortunately, the house had to be dismantled in 1934 as the cost of restoring it was was too high.

A lot of fun has been had in this park, including this sleigh ride taken by visitors in 1935. In the background (behind the guy on the left) you can see the Bronze Doors and the entrance to the museum. We definitely don’t get enough snow these days to keep a sleigh on hand.

Although it may seem a little bit crazy, the museum used to store its small craft collection in the lake. I guess that with the boats being rather large, this was the best (and definitely cheapest) method they could come up with for storing and exhibiting them at the time. There was no date on this picture, but I would imagine that this was taken in the 30’s or 40’s, definitely in winter.

For anyone who is interested in learning more about the history of our park, you can check out the book The Mariners’ Museum Park: The Making of an Urban Oasis by Harold N. Cones. And don’t forget to check back next month for more Way Back Wednesdays photos!