In 1902, Montclair resident Charles W. Anderson offered to donate 14.85 acres of parkland to the Essex County Park Commission.

This came at a time when Essex County was facing a lot of population growth, which brought more homes and less greenery.

While Montclair was shifting away from a focus on agriculture and into suburban development, the community recognized a need for parkland.

In 2006, Friends of Anderson Park formed to rejuvenate the original 1904 Olmsted Planting Plan.

Toney's Brook flows through the east side of the park, parallel to the railroad tracks.