Candlewood Park

Carol Eigsti donated the Candlewood Park property to the Washington Park District in 1994. Eigsti had been a farmer in the Deer Creek area for over thirty years and moved to Washington in 1983. She passed away in 2003. The park's original plans called for a nature center in the house on the property as well as a baseball backstop for neighborhood children. 

Candlewood Park's footprint includes the Cemetery Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jacob Hablutzel and John Sheppard built the bridge in 1894 to connect the Glendale Cemetery area with the city.

In 2000, the city of Washington asked Peoria for some of its dolomite blocks in storage that were salvaged from the old downtown Bergner’s store. Using the Peoria bricks would be cheaper and produce better-quality stone. It was estimated that shipping lesser-quality stone from an out-of-area quarry would cost $40,000.

The Candlewood Bridge was closed in June 2023 due to structural issues. 

The Park is an outstanding area for a walk in the woods or a bird-watching trek on its short trail to Farm Creek and also includes some playground equipment and a shelter.