  
|
A Brief History of Troys Parks by Mike Esposito Many of the parks in Troy are the result of the generosity of Troy residents. Arthur Weise, in his history City of Troy and It's Vicinity records that the earliest public park in Troy, Seminary Park, was conveyed by patron Jacob 0. Van der Heyden to the trustees of the Village of Troy on May 10, 1796 for the use "as a public square and also for the purpose of erecting a public school-house or academy, if it should at any time be judged proper by the inhabitants of said village". In 1803 the trustees spent $300 on leveling, fencing, planting trees and marking walkways. On July 18, 1834 trustees of the First Presbyterian Church conveyed two lots adjacent to Seminary Park to the city "to be kept open and unoccupied by any building". Its earlier name reflected the fact that it was adjacent to the buildings of the Emma Willard Female Seminary. The park, now called Russell Sage Park is located on Congress Street between First and Second Streets. Washington Park (1.8 acres) was formed as a private ornamental park on March 30, 1840 for the use and recreation of the owners of lots fronting the park. It is maintained by the Washington Park Association. Beman Park (7 acres) was given to the city by John and Sarah L. Sherry on October 1, 1878 for a public park. Powers Park (2.5 acres) was developed by Deborah Ball Powers as a memorial to her husband William Powers. Her sons deeded the park to the Village of Lansingburgh following her death in May, 1891. Long before Troy annexed the Village of Lansingburgh in 1900, the impressive Rensselaer Park was a popular recreation spot for area residents. The Rensselaer Park Association formed in June, 1867 for the purpose of planning a park and recreation area for village residents. Among the attractions in the park were a racing track, and pavilions for exhibitions and concerts. The park continued until 1880. In 1907 attractions were renovated and the New Rensselaer Park opened and remained popular until 1919 when the land was sold to real estate developers. The Knickerbocker Memorial Playground (47 acres) incorporated on April 27, 1936 is owned by the Knickerbocker Park Association and leased to the city. It contains an ice skating rink, swimming pool, sports fields for football, baseball, softball and soccer, and a basketball court. Prospect Park (57 acres in the park proper) was acquired from the Warren family by Troy for a public recreation area on February 19, 1903. RPI's first black graduate, landscape engineer Garnet D. Baltimore, created a plan of walkways and flower gardens for the park. The municipal swimming pool attracted thousands during the summer months but closed in 1994. A recently formed volunteer group, The Friends of Prospect Park, is actively involved in rehabilitating the central city park. To date, one of their priorities has been repairing the tennis courts. Frear Park (247 acres) was donated by the family of William H. Frear in June, 1917. Wright Lake and Bradley Lake, located in the park, were named for members of the Frear family. Additional acreage was donated to the city by Mrs. William H, Frear in October, 1922. The golf course was opened in 1935 and expanded in the early 1960's to eighteen holes. An ice skating rink, tennis courts and other facilities were added over the years. Like Prospect Park, Frear Park contains walkways and beautiful landscaped areas. Burden Park along the riverfront in South Troy opened on September 1, 1919. Located on the grounds of the old steel works, the land was donated by the Burden Iron Works Company and for the many years that it remained open it was the pride of the Sixth Ward. Joe Parker in his book Looking Back recalls that Barker Park (112 acre) on the site of our former City Hall "was opened in 1944 with equipment donated by Troy businessmen and residents; trees and shrubs were donated by the RC Reynolds Furniture Company." In the past few years a group of concerned business owners and center city residents formed the Downtown Barker Park Neighborhood Association to oversee the park and advocate for the center city area. In 1972 the Troy City Council agreed to sell a tract of land along the Hudson River waterfront to the Lansingburgh Historical Society for the purpose of creating a park as a memorial to American author Herman Melville who lived in Lansingburgh from 1835 to 1847. Riverfront Park (4.10 acres), Troys newest public park, was dedicated by Mayor Francis Flynn on September 25, 1982. The park is an important part of the revitalization of Troys waterfront and a popular site for community activities, festivals and other public gatherings. It wasn't until 1890, when a group called the Citizens Advisory Association was formed, that a plan for developing public parks for the city occurred. Legislation enacted in 1892 permitted the city to provide for the laying out and maintenance of property to be known as public parks. It empowered the creation of a Park Commission. Landscape Architect William S. Egerton was hired to present a park plan. The Commission's Special Report Upon a System of Parks and Connecting Parkway and a map of the city showing the proposed parks were issued in 1895. Officials from several cities contacted by the Commission, including Albany, Buffalo, New York, Boston, and Baltimore agreed unanimously that "the cost of parks has been in a large measure compensated by taxes receivable from increased valuation of private property adjacent to park property." Egerton's recommendation was "two parks of ample dimensions both being connected by a parkway of generous width. The site for the 269 acre "North Park" (in the area of the present Frear Park) included property owned by the water works on the east and west side of Oakwood Avenue. "South Park" was to be that land surrounding the Wynantskill, extending from Burden's Pond on the west to Albia on the east, and included property owned by the county farm, the Orphan Asylum and the Smart and Fonda properties." Comparing the 1895 map and a current map of Troy, the parkway connecting the two public areas appears to include the full length of Burdett Avenue and a roadway along the eastern border of the city leading directly into the proposed "South Park." The Common Council voted down the legislation (Laws of New York, 1895, Chapter 267), on May 18, 1895. In a statement appearing in the Northern Budget, May 19, 1895, Mayor Edward J. Molloy said the Park Commission was given too much authority. The proposition to take from the Common Council the control of the appropriation called for ($300,000) and to place it entirely in the hands of the Park Commission was a major objection. The Common Council voted against the bill 15 to 10 and it was returned to the governor disapproved.. The plan was never implemented, but a 1973 report issued by the City credit its impact on open space planning in Troy as significant. In later years several important reports favored increasing the city's role in planning and maintaining parks, recreation areas and open space planning in general. The City of Troy, NY Master Plan by consultants Cadman, Klinger & Droste issued in 1962 included a proposed recreation plan which recommended the development of three additional neighborhood parks and two district parks. "Of the eleven sites selected for public parks and playgrounds, seven were used for residential and commercial purposes, one for a low income housing project and one for a grocery store. Only one site was used for a park." Two comprehensive documents issued by the city's Bureau of Planning and Community Development in 1973 and 1974 included the results of an extensive survey on public spaces in Troy and recommendations for an action plan. Special attention was also paid to secure citizen participation. Recreation Open Space Inventory, was the first of two reports by John M. Holohan and Viestarts Zubkovs. The following year the second report, Recreation Open Space Plan , was issued. During the summer of 1976, a report prepared for the city by RPI's Center for Urban-Environment Studies, proposed a park along South Troy's riverfront. The report, Troy Quality of Life, 1976: Problems, Plans, Projections , "suggested the development of the tract as a site for a permanent exposition, a complex of museum, entertainment, and conservation facilities all to center loosely on the theme of Troy's historical heritage, all to be known collectively as "Riverview Park". At the time, a fifty acre tract of riverfront land (formerly occupied by the Republic Steel Corporation) had been vacant for several years. Approximately 500 acres of public space, including parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and recreation areas, boulevards and monuments are maintained by staff of the City's Bureau of Parks & Recreation. In recent years budget constraints and under staffing have created problems for the Bureau in maintaining Troy's parks and other open spaces. Vandalism at the sites cause additional concern. Residents are encouraged to report acts of vandalism immediately. The involvement of residents, neighborhood associations and various "Friends" groups is an important component in caring for our parks, recreation areas and open spaces. The five city documents and map used in preparing this compilation along with Welse's City or Tray and it's Vicinity and Joe Parker's. Looking Back are available at the Troy Public Library. Additional information was provided by Bob Barnes. Recreation Supervisor, Troy's Bureau of Parks & Recreation. In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation 
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
