ITALIAN LAKE

Italian Lake: A Much Needed Respite With A Long History

By Jeff Falk • Photos Courtesy Of Harrisburg Parks Foundation

Urban and rural. Natural and man-made. City and country.

Too often, we limit our perspectives with labels and distinctions. But there is a special kind of beauty to be discovered within contrasts and combinations.

Harrisburg’s Italian Lake Park is the perfect example of what can be created when nature peacefully co-exists with an urban setting. In another way, Italian Lake Park represents Harrisburg’s geographical standing in central Pennsylvania, a thriving, breathing metropolis surrounded by mountains, waterways and Penn’s woods.

But given its history, its place in the community and its ability to provide an instant respite during the Pandemic, Italian Lake Park is much, much more.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” says Jeb Stuart, a preservation advisor for the Historic Harrisburg Association. “The park has been well-maintained over the years, and it’s very picturesque. It’s part of a comprehensive plan, and it went hand-in-hand with the construction of William Penn High School. The original thought was that it would make properties in the area more valuable. As far as Harrisburg is concerned, to have a lake uptown is quite special.

“It’s a gem, not just for Harrisburg, but for the region as a whole,” continues Stuart. “I don’t know of any lake in a metropolitan area that is so nice and so well-designed. It represents the evolution of the city’s park system. It really is a sanctuary.”

Italian Lake Park is situated on 9.5 acres of land at Third and Division Streets in the city, not far from the Susquehanna River. It is one of eight primary parks owned and maintained by the city, and some say Harrisburg’s most beautiful.

“I think what’s cool about Italian Lake is that you can stand on the street and you can see the lakes, and the statues, and then you see the mountains in the background,” says Stuart. “You can’t believe you’re in uptown Harrisburg. Some would say Riverfront Park is the most beautiful park in Harrisburg. Some would say Reservoir Park is. But they’re all different. That’s what’s so cool about Harrisburg.

“Parks are important because they create open space,” adds Stuart. “Parks are there for people to use. They’re important places for congregation and to hold events. These parks have different components to them, and Italian Lake is relatively stagnant – and I’m glad it is. It’s pretty much the way it is when it was first established.”

Italian Lake Park is actually laid out around a pair of man-made lakes, a southern lake and a northern lake joined by an ornamental Japanese bridge. It features the well-known ‘Dance of Eternal Springs’ fountain that symbolizes the relationship between music, dance and art, a formal garden maintained in an Italian Renaissance style and a new pavilion dedicated last year.

While the park is heavily used by Harrisburg residents, it is also a must-see for visitors to the city.

“The lakes are certainly the center pieces of the park,” says Stuart. “It was all swampy land at one time. The streams were dammed up and it created the lakes. It’s the whole reason for the park. In the early years, it was known as ‘Italian Park’, until the lakes were created. The ornamental bridge is iconic, and beyond that, the park and lakes have been well maintained.

“I don’t know the demographics of the people who use the park,” Stuart continues. “It might be local, but it may not be. There’s a lot that goes on there. There are band concerts. There are weddings. There are performances. I know there are a number of groups who use it.”

The history of Italian Lake Park dates back to the turn of the 20th century, and even earlier. The park’s origin was part of the so-called ‘City Beautiful Movement’ of 1901.

It is truly a monument to a group of people’s vision for what the city of Harrisburg could become.

“We like to think of it as being a beauty,” says Stuart, a native of Harrisburg. “I think the two lakes make it quite stirring. In 1901 to 1903, Warren Manning

surveyed the city and he knew the city was going to expand, from a residential standpoint. He saw the need for a park. It was noted that we had a spring that fed the swamp. So the seeds of it were planted as early as 1905.

“It goes back to an Italian who used to conduct Monte Carlo card games there in the 1860s,” says Stuart. “Harrisburg residents would go to the park for amusement. But who knows? It’s really a mystery how the park got that name. It may have come from a hotel nearby that was owned by an Italian, and the people associated the park with the man."

“Then the powers to be saw it was the only natural, next step,” Stuart adds. “It was known that there needed to be a new high school. William Penn High School was built in the mid 1920s, and the park was developed at the same time. There was knowledge that the park could be a resource. When it comes to the catalyst for the park, they were kind of it. There were also land owners who donated land for the park. It took a number of years to be developed, but it all went hand-in-hand.”

How the picturesque park at Third and Division Streets became to be known as “Italian Park” is a story in and of itself. One version is that it was so named because of its proximity to a lodge on North Front Street known as “The Italian Hotel”, owned and operated by local entrepreneur Patricio Russ.

“It goes back to an Italian who used to conduct Monte Carlo card games there in the 1860s,” says Stuart. “Harrisburg residents would go to the park for amusement. But who knows? It’s really a mystery how the park got that name. It may have come from a hotel nearby that was owned by an Italian, and the people associated the park with the man.

“But over the years, the park really hasn’t changed all that much,” continues Stuart. “It used to be a great place for ice skating. But unfortunately, there were liability issues and the winters just haven’t been as cold as they used to be.”

In 1990, the city spent $200,000 on repairs and improvements to the lakes and the park itself. But the beauty of Italian Lake Park is tied to nature, as well as staying true to its storied past.

“There were things that were improved over the years,” says Stuart. “The cobblestone walkways and the boulevard lighting were adds, and it’s really been enhanced by the statues. But with respect to the evolution of nature, it really hasn’t changed all that much. I feel the park just has to be properly maintained, and aggressively maintained.

“I don’t know if the city has any long range plans for it,” concludes Stuart. “This is not a big park. It’s 9.5 acres, most of which is the lakes. I’d just like to see it maintained and used more. But to my knowledge, there’s nothing in the offing for Italian Lake Park.”

Beacuase there are some aspects of natural beauty that can't be improved upon, 7