Frederick Law Olmsted, the leading landscape architect of his day, was hired to design the park. The centerpiece to the new park was to be a viewing pavilion sixty-two feet in diameter and forty-six feet in height. Climbing the central staircase to the upper two levels, the visitor would be rewarded with an unobstructed panoramic view of the entire area. Olmsted placed the pavilion strategically at the Pinnacle, the park's highest point, adjacent to the city reservoir. Funding problems were about to stall construction when George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry donated the $7,000 as a gift to the children of Rochester.

On Sept. 29, 1890, the park was officially opened with the dedication of the Ellwanger & Barry Children's Pavilion. Olmsted had designed the park to feature low growing planting to ensure uninterrupted views from the Children's Pavilion and several thousand flowering shrubs had already been planted. By 1898 the park had grown to 150 acres and over 3,000 people had come to see the spring show provided by the 22 acre garden. Today these lilacs and rhododendrons draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Rochester's famous Lilac Festival. Unfortunately, they can no longer enjoy the view from the Children's Pavilion.

The Pavilion had been the scene of countless concerts, festivals, pageants and weddings. In 1961 due to lack of maintenance, it was declared unsafe and closed to the public, and demolished in 1963.

Plans for the Future
The Committee to Rebuild the Children's Pavilion in Highland Park is working to dedicate a new pavilion in September of 2006. The new structure will duplicate the original Children's Pavilion with few exceptions. The timber frame construction will remain, but railings, and balusters will be aluminum, finished to resemble stained wood. A better storm water drainage system will be incorporated with a lower maintenance roof. A glass walled elevator will also be provided to bring the structure up to present day building codes.

Your help is needed
Once again funding problems are the major hindrance to construction. The $7,000 cost of the original Children's Pavilion has risen to an estimated 2.4 million dollars. Please help support the return of this Victorian gem to Rochester's skyline. Your donations can make this dream possiable.

Please visit the The Highland Park Conservancy website for curent information and historical photos of the Ellwanger & Barry Children's Pavilion.If you are in the Rochester area, please visit the fascinating exhibit in The Lower Gatehouse during the 2003 Lilac Festival. A scale model of the new Pavilion will be on display, along with commemorative items for sale, including tee shirts, mugs, antique photos of the Pavilion, beautiful botanical drawings from the park collection, postcards and magnets.

Additional vintage postcards of Highland Park and the Children's Pavilion can be seen at VintageViews.org

Contact the Committee to Rebuild the Children's Pavilion
990 S. Clinton Ave.
Rochester, NY
14620
(585) 244-7450

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