Friends of Brightwood Park
  • Home
  • PRESERVE
    • Ecology
    • Invasive Species
    • Ponds
    • Clean Ups
    • Trails
  • ENJOY
    • halloween-22
    • Photos
    • Birding >
      • greenHeron
    • Trail Maps
    • Calendar
  • B W Kids
    • Nature Detectives - the latest news
  • History
  • Who We Are
    • Chuan-Chu Chou Blog
    • Perspectives on the Park
    • MemberInfo
    • presidentReport-1Q-21
  • Shop
  • JOIN
  • biancaTemp
  • loisTemp
  • Home
  • PRESERVE
    • Ecology
    • Invasive Species
    • Ponds
    • Clean Ups
    • Trails
  • ENJOY
    • halloween-22
    • Photos
    • Birding >
      • greenHeron
    • Trail Maps
    • Calendar
  • B W Kids
    • Nature Detectives - the latest news
  • History
  • Who We Are
    • Chuan-Chu Chou Blog
    • Perspectives on the Park
    • MemberInfo
    • presidentReport-1Q-21
  • Shop
  • JOIN
  • biancaTemp
  • loisTemp

Before it was a park, it was a neighborhood

Around 1900, the future site of Brightwood Park in Westfield was referred to as “Turkey Swamp”. It was part of the “big woods”, a wooded area bounded by Lawrence Avenue, Brightwood Avenue and the border with Scotch Plains. Between 1900 and 1905, the site was subdivided into 340 small lots by builders and real estate developers.

Slaughter-22 Bey-Bennett-21 Gamrell-20 Dunham-19 Hines-18 Webb-17 Burton-16 Webber-15 Bullock-14 Fields-13 st-Thomas-church-12 Jarvis-11 Manair-10 Cladopoulos-9 Simmons-8 mcPhaul-7 Hurlingl-6 McPhaul5 Presslow-4 Glascoe-3 Styles-2 McDede-Jr-1

Click on photo below to learn about the residents of this neighborhood.
The numbers on the map correspond to the photo numbers.
Picture
(1)  1203 Prospect Street
Annetta & Anson McDede, Jr.
Picture
(2)  123 Liberty Street
Agnes & Archibald Stiles, Jr.
Picture
(3)  149 Liberty Street
Margaret, Stephen Glascoe &Lloyd Patterson

Picture
(4)  ​155 Liberty Street
Presslow Family
Picture
(5)  157 Liberty St.
Eva & Allen McPhaul
Picture
(6)  166 Liberty St.
Lester Hurling


Picture
(7)  176 Liberty St. 
Eva & Allen McPhaul
Picture
​(8)  1160 Fanwood Ave.
Catherine & Henry Simmons
Picture
(9)  ​1128 Fanwood Ave (background)
​Jordan Cladopoulos


Picture

​(10)  
​1126 Fanwood Ave (foreground)
Cordelia Belle Spencer Perry Manair
Picture
(11)  1118 Fanwood Ave ​
​Samuel Jarvis

Picture
(12)  ​ 1112  Fanwood Ave.
St. Thomas AME Zion Church


Picture
(13)  ​208 Smith Street
Reginald & Gladys Fields
Picture
(14)  ​168 Netherwood Ave.
Lula & Oliver Burton
Picture
(15)  333 Randolph Place
Bullock Family

Picture
(16)  ​167 Netherwood Avenue
Webber Family
Picture
(17)  ​157 Netherwood Ave.
Chanie & Charles Webb
Picture
(18)  ​156 Netherwood Ave.
Julia & Moses Hines

Picture
(19)  ​120 Netherwood Avenue
Julia and ​Durwood Dunham
Picture
(20)  1071 Fanwood Ave
Gamrell
Picture
(21)  ​1063 Fanwood Avenue
Bey/Bennett Families

Picture
(22)  ​1061 Fanwood Avenue
Slaughter Family
Picture
(23)  ​address

Picture
(24)  address


Location

Brightwood Park is on the North end of Prospect Street.  Go past Franklin School and look for the entrance on the left.

What Our Members Are Saying

"I love the work you are doing at Brightwood.  Your efforts have shone a light on the essential elements of the park that we all cherish: its natural beauty and tranquility."

"I have a deep fondness for Brightwood park and would like to see it restored, remain natural and continue to be a site of passive recreation."

"I loved growing up in Brightwood Park !"


"I found Brightwood a few years ago and it's a great place to find wildlife, fish, and enjoy nature. Nice and quiet; good place to un wind and relax. Love it!!!"

​"As a resident for almost thirty years in the Brightwood area of Westfield, I am thrilled to see what is happening to improve and preserve Brightwood park for today and future generations. "


Contact Us


Become a Member!  We'd Love to Have You Join Us.