The Bulldog Park History

The park known as Reliance Triangle Park, or popularly as "Bulldog Park," is a small, triangular green space in Philadelphia's Fairmount/Spring Garden neighborhood, situated at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue, Fairmount Avenue, and 25th Street.

In the 1880’s, during Philadelphia’s heavy manufacturing era, twenty-five houses were situated on this plot of land (see blue triangle on map to the left). These houses were surrounded by railroad tracks (now Pennsylvania Ave) and heavy manufacturing. Across the street, where the Philadelphia Art Museum now stands, was a reservoir that was filled in and redeveloped in the 1920’s.

The formation of this park dates back to 1900, when Mayor Ashbridge selected the area to be a park. It wasn’t until 1925 that the City officially acquired the land and leveled the houses.  (While digging, we often find bricks and rubble from this era.) At that point, the City placed the area under the care of the Commissioners of Fairmount Park. 

Photos from 1949 show a number of mature trees had grown on this site, but there was no formal park infrastructure or walkways. In the late 1980s, the park was more formally created in its present form, with financial assistance from Reliance Standard Life Insurance and the Fairmount Park Commission.

The park's original landscape design called for an Italianate fountain that was to be relocated to the site from Kelly Drive. However, the historic fountain split in two during the process of removal, leaving the new park without a focal point. This was eventually filled with the current statue. Please navigate to the “The Bulldog Statue” tab for more information on the statue itself.

Since the 1980’s, this park has been lovingly tended by volunteers. The current group, the “Friends of Bulldog Park” dates from 2019, and has joined Philadelphia’s “Park Friends Network,” affiliated with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and Fairmount Park Conservancy.  

Friends of Bulldog Park would love to have additional volunteers to help support and care for this green space.