This Presentation provides a history of the special role of playgrounds in Hartford public parks during The Progressive Era (1880-1925); by examining three specific playgrounds in the city. Focus of presentation will be about how they can be used as a significant historical and cultural resource i.e. origin of playgrounds in the U.S., national and local trends of the play movement, playground equipment and features and other historic playgrounds across the nation.
Brayton Price museum educator at the Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington. He received a B.S. in History from Portland State University in 2022 and his MA in Public History from Central Connecticut State University in 2025. He was a former educator for the Noah Webster House and Museum, he also interned at Colt Park National Historical Park, and a graduate assistant for the Witness Stones Project, LLC.