Utica Parks and Parkway Historic District

Utica Parks and Parkway Historic District is a national historic district located at Utica in Oneida County, New York. It consists of four contributing historic elements: a historic right-of-way known as the Memorial Parkway and the three large parks it connects: Roscoe Conkling Park, F.T. Proctor Park, and T.R. Proctor Park. The district includes seven contributing buildings, three contributing sites, 26 contributing structures, and five contributing objects. The park and parkway system was designed between 1908 and 1914 by the firm of Olmsted Brothers Landscape Associates, headed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The Utica Zoo is located in Roscoe Conkling Park.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.HistoryIn 1905, Thomas R. Proctor announced he was donating land to the city of Utica for public use. “For his generosity, July 9 was declared ‘Proctor Day’ and was celebrated by a parade or special festivities in the parks." The Olmsted family that designed the Emerald Necklace in Boston and Central Park in New York City, also designed the parks for Utica: Frederick T. Proctor, Thomas R. Proctor, and Roscoe Conkling Parks. These city parks are known today to accommodate athletic activities, public events, and fundraisers.