2025-05-122025-05-122008-04-17https://hdl.handle.net/10929/146082Branch Brook Park was built on what used to be "Old Blue Jay Swamp. What is now the lake used to be a thicket of cattails cut by stretches of shallow open water, clumps of trees, plus a few naturally occurring fields. Excavated at great cost, the centerpiece of Branch Brook Park is now this 24 acre Branch Brook Lake. Note the lion in the pictures. The lions were carved by Karl Ritter for the entranceway of the old Norman-style Prudential building on Broad Street. When the old Pru was torn down in 1960, these lions were given to Branch Brook Park. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is in the background.Original file name 2425318352_1712b1be41_o.jpg4354x2175The Lake in Branch Brook ParkBranch Brook ParkEssex County Park CommissionU.S. National Register of Historic PlacesU.S. Historic districtCherry Blossom FestivalNewarkNorth WardEssex CountyGatewayThe Gateway RegionNew JerseyNJJerseyThe Garden State