The children of Lyman and Eliza Coe sought to create a lasting memorial to their parents, who loved Torrington and its people, and in 1906, one year after Eliza Coe died, Edward Turner Coe, Ella Seymour Coe, and Adelaide Coe Godfrey offered the town of Torrington a deed to the family property that had been their home for more than 40 years. The land was to be used only for park purposes, creating Torrington's first municipal park. Under the terms of the gift, the town had to remove the Coe home and erect a suitable monument. Torrington accepted the gift and began creating the park, dividing and moving the house to form several smaller homes elsewhere. Although the city consulted Olmsted Brothers for park plans, it ultimately chose Hartford landscape architect Thomas R. McClunie for the work, while the final design still reflected Olmsted Brothers' philosophy that shade, broad walks, frequent seats, and a cheerful, attractive, well-kept appearance were essential. The park opened to the public in 1908. Since then, it has been enlarged by several acres to the south and west, and monuments have been added, including the All Wars Memorial after World War One and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fountain in front of the Civic Center, built in 1975. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.