Crescent Park
Crescent Park is located where Crescent Street met Bostwick Avenue. It was at the head of a steep incline so only a stairway ran straight while two curving roads went around each side of the hill forming a crescent-shaped park. Bronson Street was platted in the Village of Kent in 1836 ending at Division Avenue. It was renamed Crescent in 1885. Need to look up section map to see who platted Crescent.
Butterworth Hospital was built just to the north causing the north wing of the street to be replaced by a sidewalk. There were Chicago-style apartment houses along the steep south wing and the straight leg at the bottom of the stairs. There was a restaurant at the SE corner of Crescent and Division where I would stop for a cold drink before climbing the stairs.
These postcards show Crescent Park from just about every direction:
Crescent Park from Above:
Looking from Bostwick Avenue southeasterly over the fountain at the head of the stairway. The south circular drive is shown joining the straight leg. The old post office is shown in the distance where it's replacement is currently standing, the recently abandoned Art Gallery. The apartment buildings that I remember have not yet been built. There is nothing written on the back or postmark.
This shows one of the Chicago-style apartment house which were few in Grand Rapids. The postmark reads December 21, 1920.
This is the view from the south leg of Crescent Street looking upwards toward the stairway. There is nothing written on the back nor postmark.
The post office is on the corner of Lyon Street to the left and Division Avenue beyond. To the far left is the south wing of Crescent Street and Crescent Park. At least one of the churches in the distance caught fire when I was a child. I remember walking past the scorched remains. Only a few of these houses still remained when I was a child. They are all gone now. The back of the card is postmarked January 1909.
Crescent Park NE
This view is similar but father to the West so shows Ottawa/Ionia? Avenue at Lyon Street and all of Crescent Park. It is postmarked Mar 1907.
This view looks easterly across Bostwick Avenue showing the future location of Butterworth Hospital to the left This church was still standing when I was a child. It was later used as a theater by Grand Rapids Junior College. . .
Close ups of the fountain:
This view is at the top of the stairs. I don't remember this fountain. If it was there, it wasn't working. I would have played in it. The postmark is Dec 13 but the year is not shown but the postage is one cent.
The next four postcards are looking south showing the fountain
Crescent Park looking south
postmarked 1904
Crescent Park
same view but closer postmarked 1909
same view but closer still, postmarked 190?
Crescent Park fountain
shows the fountain spraying water postmarked 1913.
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info