Camden Harbor Park & Amphitheatre
Welcome to the web site of The Conservancy for Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre. These two parks were a magnificent gift to the town in 1931 from Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist. They are a shared legacy for all to enjoy.
They were designed by renowned landscape architects:
- The Olmsted Brothers, Harbor Park
- Fletcher Steele, Amphitheatre
They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and restored and rehabilitated in 2004 with funds provided by the taxpayers of Camden and other generous contributors.
The seven-year process to develop a viable plan to restore Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre underscores the national significance of these historic landscapes and their need for dedicated stewardship.
Accordingly, in December of 2003, the Camden Library Board of Trustees approved the formation of The Conservancy for Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre and the establishment of a restricted Conservancy Fund. The board authorized the Conservancy to hire a director to oversee management of the landscapes.
In June of 2003, Camden voters, by a margin of 2-1, approved a $350,000 bond issue for the preservation and rehabilitation of Harbor Park and the Amphitheatre. In conjunction with the bond, the trustees pledged to raise an additional $350,000 to complete the estimated $700,000 project. The founding Conservancy members were library trustees Richard Anderson, Roger Moody and Mort Strom and community members Richard Aroneau, Anne Edmonds, Dyke Messler, Caroline Morong and Lucinda Ziesing.
In 2006 the Harbor Park and Amphitheatre Committee was established to replace the Conservancy, with responsibility for recommending to the library trustees all actions to ensure the proper restoration, ongoing stewardship and cultural and educational programming of Harbor Park, the Amphitheatre and all other library grounds. The parks director will oversee the professional maintenance of the grounds, manage staff and work closely with the library trustees.
The Camden Public Library is dedicated to encouraging public use of Harbor Park and the Amphitheatre and volunteer activity in support of the parks. Also the library will develop educational programs designed to engage community members and visitors of all ages in the ongoing life of these living works of art.