Overfelt Gardens
Overfelt Gardens are a 33-acre (13 ha) park in San Jose, California, located in the Alum Rock district of East San Jose.
History
The land for the park was donated by Mildred Overfelt in 1959, in memory of her parents, William and Mary Overfelt, early San Jose pioneers that started grain and dairy farms in the 1850s.[1] Mildred specified the park was intended "to provide a place of rest, relaxation, aesthetic, and other enjoyment for the people of San Jose" and no sports fields or games were to be constructed. It was opened in 1966.[1]
Park features
Early features added to the park include picnic areas, restrooms, a fountain dedicated to Mildred, and a "fragrance garden" comprising many aromatic plants. Later paths were added around the rest of the park and its three lakes, with a section designated as a California Native plant and Wildlife Sanctuary. Three large, interconnected percolation ponds rise and shrink throughout the year, providing habitat for birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and fish year-round. A large statue of the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius overlooks a shallow reflection pond that, when full, spills into a narrow streambed. Also, the California Wild area is a 1.6-acre (0.65 ha) wildlife sanctuary composed of a dirt trail winding around a hill covered in native trees, brush, wildflowers and grasses. A paved walking trail meanders around the remainder of the park over gently sloping hills, around a reflection pond emptying into a small stream, past cultural points of interest and around three percolation ponds. The current park map shows these trails as thick white lines.[2]
The southeast section of the park includes the Chinese Cultural Garden, commemorating Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Confucius, and Chinese culture in general, including a large black stone, mined and shipped from Taiwan.
Location
Overfelt Gardens is located on McKee Road in East San Jose. Independence High School lies just to its north.
References
- ^ a b Wall, Jessica (11 August 2017). "Overfelt Gardens Park: A Place of Relaxation in the Middle of Bustling San Jose". San Jose Public Library. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
- ^ "Overfelt Gardens". sanjoseca.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02.
External links
- Overfelt Gardens, City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services
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- Almaden Lake Park
- Alviso Marina County Park
- Alum Rock Park
- Backesto Park
- Balermino Park
- Bernal Park
- Bestor Art Park
- Biebrach Park
- Cahill Park
- Cannery Park
- Charlotte Commons
- Chinese Cultural Garden
- Del Monte Park
- Edenvale Gardens
- Emma Prusch Farm Park
- Elaine Richardson Park
- Gran Paradiso Park
- Guadalupe River Park
- Hellyer Park
- Kelley Park (Happy Hollow Zoo • History Park • Japanese Friendship Garden)
- Lake Cunningham Park
- Martial Cottle Park
- Metcalf Park
- Moitozo Park
- Montgomery Hill Park
- O'Connor Park
- Overfelt Gardens
- Parque de los Pobladores
- Parque de la Raza de Paz
- Parque de la Amistad
- Parque de Padre Mateo Sheedy
- Palmia Park
- Pellier Park
- Plata Arroyo Park
- Ramac Park
- Riverview Park
- River Oaks Park
- Ryland Park
- San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
- Santa Teresa County Park
- Santana Park
- St. James Park
- Valencia Park
- Vieira Park
- Vista Montaña Park
- Paseo de San Antonio
- Paseo de San Carlos
- Paseo de César Chávez
- 9th Street Paseo
- Fountain Alley
- Los Lagos Municipal Golf Course
- Rancho del Pueblo Municipal Golf Course
- San Jose Municipal Golf Course
- Communications Hill Grand Staircase
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