RACINE, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Root River Parks in the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 2025. The Root River Parks are composed of Island, Riverside, Cedar Bend, and Washington Parks. They were established from 1905 through 1912 in Racine, Racine County.
The Racine Board of Park Commissioners initiated a citywide park system in the early 20th century. It became a milestone in local planning and the foundation of what developed into a larger system of parks and green spaces located throughout Racine. The Commission raised private funding over seven years to create four parks that are connected along both sides of the Root River: Island, Riverside, Cedar Bend, and Washington Parks. The design allowed the public to take advantage of the existing natural waterway and scenic vistas. The park facilities were expanded over the years to include athletic fields, playgrounds and a golf course, which demonstrates the evolving history of recreation in Racine.
The parks are also a representative example of the Prairie style of landscape architecture designed by Jens Jensen, a Midwestern landscape architect who is nationally recognized for this design style that was popularized during his lifetime. Characteristic features of the Prairie style of landscape architecture include native vegetation, a central water feature, gently curving circulation patterns for pedestrian and vehicular paths and long open meadows. The citywide park system continues to maintain these design themes and are frequently used.
Additional information for the Root River Parks is available at: https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2805
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
