The land was designated as a public cemetery in 1846, the same year Madison was chartered as a village. Madison quickly outgrew the cemetery, and by the 1850s the Common Council was already looking for a larger site. In 1877, the graves located at the site were moved to Forest Hill Cemetery.[3]
The site officially opened as a park in 1887, making it the first public park in Madison. Other proposals for the site included a beer garden and a hospital. It was named after Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Harlow S. Orton. The park has hosted neighborhood events since its creation; these originally included concerts and ice cream socials, and have more recently included a farmer's market and neighborhood festival.[3]
The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978.[1] It is located within the Orton Park Historic District, which is also listed on the National Register.
