In 1889, the City of Milwaukee created its first Park Commission under the presidency of Christian Wahl. The Commission hired eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York’s Central Park, to develop plans for three local parks: Lake Park, River Park (now known as Riverside Park), and West Park (now known as Washington Park), plus Newberry Boulevard, to connect Lake and River Parks. Of the three parks, Lake Park most closely retains the original form and intent of its designer. It also houses one of only two extant Indian mounds in Milwaukee County. Lake Park was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The property was designated for its historic and architectural significance.