Abingdon Square Park is located in the New York City borough of Manhattan in Greenwich Village . The park is bordered by Eighth Avenue , Bank Street , Hudson Street and West 12th Street .
114-549: Abingdon Square Park is one of New York City's oldest parks, and at 0.25 acres (1,000 m), one of it smallest. It is maintained by the Abingdon Square Conservancy, a community-based park association, in cooperation with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . New York City acquired the land on which the park resides on April 22, 1831, and it was enclosed with a cast-iron fence in 1836. In
228-502: A shooting center at Rodman's Neck; a 350-meter (1,150 ft) horseback riding track; and a fencing , swimming , and water polo facility in the Orchard Beach pavilion. The bid ultimately was awarded to London instead. In 2010, construction began on extending the jetty at Orchard Beach at a cost of $ 13 million. Soon after, work started on a $ 2.9 million project to restore Pelham Bay Park's shoreline, which entailed renovating
342-609: A $ 21 million settlement to avoid going to trial. The department maintains an enforcement division, called the Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP), responsible for maintaining safety and security within the parks system. Parks Enforcement Patrol officers are employed as nyc special patrolmen and have very limited peace officer status under NYS Penal Law, they are empowered through this status to make arrests and issue summons for park related offenses at new york city parks only. PEP officers patrol land, waterways and buildings under
456-549: A $ 6.3 million gift for improvements to Pelham Bay Park and twenty other parks around the city. NYC Parks used the money to renovate trails and clean up weeds. A renovation of Orchard Beach started in 1995. A water park for the beach was proposed, but ultimately canceled in 1999. A few years later, as part of the city's ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics , several facilities in Pelham Bay Park were proposed for upgrades. The new facilities would have included
570-625: A Request for Bids (RFB) or Request for Proposals (RFP). Yorkville Sports Association (YSA) for three years operated the New City Parks Softball Concession that contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the City's General Fund. Approximately 500 concessions currently operate in parks throughout the five boroughs, and they generally fall into two categories: food service and recreation. The food service concessions range from pushcarts selling hot dogs to restaurants such as Tavern on
684-473: A Village Award. On August 3, 2009, a small garden was established inside the park as a memorial to Adrienne Shelly , an actress and film producer who was slain in her office located in 15 Abingdon Square. Abingdon Square Conservancy is a non-profit public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Conservancy's mission is to enhance and maintain
798-488: A canal to flood the north end of the cove with salt water. NYC Parks then placed a foot bridge across the canal. Some 11 acres (4.5 ha) of forest were also restored, with 10,000 trees being replaced. The cove also contains a batting cage and a golf center with miniature golf , PGA simulators, and grass tees . Glover's Rock ( 40°51′54″N 73°48′19″W / 40.86507°N 73.805244°W / 40.86507; -73.805244 ( Glover's Rock ) ),
912-745: A citizen and cannot make arrests. For this reason a typical patrol will include a PEP Officer and an Auxiliary Officer. By combining the two, the manpower of the Parks Enforcement Patrol is significantly increased at no cost to the city. Should the team come upon a situation requiring enforcement, the PEP Officer can deal with it while the Auxiliary Officer covers the Officer's back and radios the situation to Parks Central and if needed will ask for additional help. " Urban Park Rangers and Associate Urban Park Rangers (Sergeants) are represented by DC37 Local 983 ,
1026-562: A civil service employees union. The union is currently headed by President Joseph Puleo. The PEP also have a security trained service that provide participants with experience needed for future employment in the private sector. The Urban Park Rangers was founded as a pilot program in 1979 by then Parks Commissioner Gordon J. Davis, with the support and encouragement of Mayor Ed Koch . The program provides many free programs year-round, such as nature walks and activities. They also operate programs such as The Natural Classroom for class trips and
1140-718: A giant granite glacial erratic, has a bronze plaque commemorating the Battle of Pell's Point. However, contrary to popular belief, the rock had nothing to do with the battle. In their respective books, Henry B. Dawson (1886) and William Abbatt (1901) both wrote that Colonel John Glover reputedly stood on the rock and watched the British forces land during the battle. This claim is erroneous, as these distances were computed based on an inaccurate map using estimates recorded by Glover in his "Letter from Mile Square" on October 24, 1776. The actual location where Glover watched British forces land
1254-654: A grid system similar to the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 in Manhattan. That grid had given rise to Central Park , a park with mostly artificial features within the bounds of the grid. However, in 1877, the city declined to act upon his plan. Around the same time, New York Herald editor John Mullaly pushed for the creation of parks in New York City, particularly lauding the Van Cortlandt and Pell families' properties in
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#17330861965811368-503: A landfill until May 1968, when the landfill permit was revoked. In November of that year, Tallapoosa West was made a part of the Pell refuge. The dump was still operating as late as 1975, when the garbage there was described as being ten stories high. The landfill closed in 1978. However, a report published in 1983 claimed that the Tallapoosa landfill, as well as five others throughout the city,
1482-469: A mostly hunter-gatherer existence. The Siwanoy used the modern-day park site as a ceremonial and burial site, as evidenced by the wampum belts found in the area, which were used for diplomatic purposes among local Native American tribes. Two glacial erratics in the park, deposited during the end of the last ice age, were used ceremonially by the Siwanoy: the "Gray Mare" on Hunter Island , and Mishow near
1596-569: A narrow channel to Pelham Bay. The Hutchinson River empties into Eastchester Bay near the northern end. The lower portion of the bay opens onto the East River , Little Neck Bay , and Long Island Sound . A lagoon within the park was once part of Pelham Bay, separating Hunter and Twin Islands from the mainland, and was called LeRoy's Bay until the mid-20th century. It was popular for rowing regattas, but could not be used for regulation rowing races as it
1710-632: A nature trail that would wind through the park's terrain. It would be named out of respect to the late historian, who had died in 1980. The Kazimiroff Nature Trail and the Pelham Bay Park Environmental Center opened in June 1986. A $ 1 million renovation of the Orchard Beach pavilions (equivalent to $ 2,780,000 in 2023) was completed by 1986. By the end of the decade, large numbers of human and animal remains were being dumped in Pelham Bay Park, including 65 human bodies that were dumped in
1824-567: A paramilitary model, There are seven titles (referred to as ranks) in the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Parks Enforcement Patrol: New York City park enforcement officers are special patrolmen in connection with special duties of employment. They have very limited Peace Officers authority pursuant to New York State Criminal Procedure Law § 2.10(27) as listed in Chapter 13 subsection (C): Special Patrolmen. Begun in 1996
1938-647: A park patrol force in hopes of having a full-time force established, Commissioner Hennessy created volunteer park inspectors (later called "Auxiliary Park Inspectors") to patrol the Bronx parks during the day. According to his "1919 annual report of the Department of Parks", the first park inspector he appointed was Inspector William Blackie. Inspector Blackie was injured on Columbus Day 1919 while attempting to arrest two men poaching song birds in Van Cortlandt Park . Despite
2052-419: A park; and that Pelham Bay Park would soon be annexed to the city. Ultimately, the parks were established, owing to efforts from supporters. After much litigation, the city acquired the land for the park. Although the residents of Pelham had initially supported the park's creation, they came to oppose it when they found that the park's creation would decrease the town's tax revenue. The 1,700 acres of land for
2166-468: A thin mudflat land bridge. Two Trees Island itself consists of a rocky plateau upon which one can see Orchard Beach and the environmental center. West Twin Island was at one time connected to neighboring Hunter Island via a man-made stone bridge, which now lies in ruins in one of the city's last remaining salt marshes . The two islands that are now combined as Twin Island have been owned by NYC Parks since
2280-461: A total of 4,000,000 cubic yards (3,100,000 m ) of sand. Moses thought that waste from the New York City Department of Sanitation would be cheaper than sand. In early 1935, workers began placing the garbage fill around Rodman's Neck, Twin Island, and Hunter Island. After the garbage began washing onto the beach, the rest of the site was filled-in using sand starting in 1936. The beach, designed by Gilmore David Clarke and Aymar Embury II ,
2394-704: A useful life of more than five years and cost at least $ 35,000. Its regulations are compiled in Title 56 of the New York City Rules . The original Parks Commission was formed in 1856 and was responsible only for Central Park . In 1870 the Tweed Charter gave it jurisdiction for all the parks in Manhattan. In addition, each borough had its independent Park Commission. The history of the Park Enforcement Patrol Officers can be traced back to 1919, when
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#17330861965812508-512: Is Susan Donoghue, who was appointed on February 4, 2022. The current chair of the New York City Council Committee on Parks & Recreation is Shekar Krishnan . The department is allocated an expense budget and a capital budget. The expense budget covers the total expenses incurred by the agency, including salaries. The capital budget is dedicated solely for new construction projects, as well as major repairs in parks that have
2622-405: Is a sound named Pelham Bay ( 40°51′59″N 73°47′25″W / 40.866335°N 73.790321°W / 40.866335; -73.790321 ( Pelham Bay ) ), but contrary to its name, it is not a bay, but rather a sound since it is open to larger bodies of water at both ends. It connects to Eastchester Bay at the south, and opens onto Long Island Sound and City Island Harbor at
2736-501: Is also nearby. 40°44′14″N 74°00′21″W / 40.7370840°N 74.0057820°W / 40.7370840; -74.0057820 New York City Department of Parks and Recreation The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation , also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks , is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining
2850-474: Is closer to the second tee of the current Split Rock Golf Course. The rock is only known as such today because Abbatt includes a labeled photograph of it in his book. Split Rock ( 40°53′11″N 73°48′54″W / 40.88648°N 73.81492°W / 40.88648; -73.81492 ( Split Rock ) ), a large dome-shaped granite boulder measuring approximately 25 feet (7.6 m) from north to south and 15 feet (4.6 m) from east to west,
2964-478: Is ever present. It can never be checked until the Parks Department has a force of keepers with police authority" and he recommended that the "Park protectors should be under control of Park Commissioners absolutely". In 1920, legislature was passed for the creation of a force of park keepers for NYC parks but the city refused to approve it and authorize funding. In an effort to show the mayor the effectiveness of
3078-469: Is located at the intersection of the New England Thruway and Hutchinson River Parkway, on a triangular parcel of land formed by these roads and a ramp that leads from the northbound Parkway to the northbound Thruway. The only public access to the rock is by a pedestrian trail that begins on Eastchester Place, outside the park. The Bridle Trail passes close to the rock, but is separated from the rock by
3192-401: Is the 782-acre (316 ha) forests, followed by the 195-acre (79 ha) salt marshes, the 161-acre (65 ha) salt flats, the 83-acre (34 ha) meadows, the 751-acre (304 ha) mixed scrub, and the 3-acre (1.2 ha) fresh water marsh. In total, about 67% of the park is estimated to be in its natural state, while 33% of the park is estimated to be developed. In the latter half of
3306-454: Is wooded with exposed bedrock with glacial grooves . The East and West Twin Islands (or the "Twins") were once true islands in Pelham Bay but are now connected to each other and to Orchard Beach and nearby Rodman's Neck by a landfill created in 1937. East Twin Island, a rocky formation with "ribbons of color" caused by sedimentary erosion, is connected to neighboring Two Trees Island via
3420-471: The Bronx , is budgeted at $ 3.25 million and includes tree houses for children, bike racks, a sprinkler system for summer recreation, and a mini-state. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreations maintains facilities and provides services through a network of public service workers, volunteers, and partnerships with private organizations. The momentum for private partnerships increased dramatically during
3534-532: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ; according to the complaint, the NYC Parks' senior managers sought out and promoted whites to management positions without announcing job openings for those positions or conducting any formal interview processes. The complaint also said that since at least 1995, minorities have been significantly under-represented in NYC Parks' managerial ranks. In 2008, the City of New York agreed to pay
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3648-626: The Hutchinson River Parkway and New England Thruway . A central section contains a Central Woodland, where the Siwanoy Trail and Turtle Cove Driving Range is present. It also includes Rodman's Neck as well as a portion of the park known as "The Meadow". The Pelham Bridge carries traffic across the Eastchester Bay between the southwest section and the rest of the park. The park contains many different habitats. The largest habitat
3762-517: The London plane and a maple leaf. It is prominently featured on signs and buildings in public parks across the city. The London plane tree is on NYC Parks' list of restricted use species for street tree planting because it constitutes more than 10% of all street trees. The department is a mayoral agency, headed by a commissioner who reports to the Deputy Mayor of Operations. The current Parks Commissioner
3876-699: The New York City Police Department , and Parks Enforcement Patrol officers. The Community Parks Initiative was launched in 2014 and is providing $ 318 million of capital funding to improve more than 60 parks mainly located in densely populated neighborhoods where there are significant rates of poverty. The park improvements, such as Ranaqua Park in the South Bronx , consist of playground equipment, lighting, seating areas, water fountains, synthetic turn fields, trees and greenery, and rain gardens to collect storm water. The Longfellow Park renovation, also in
3990-579: The New York State Assembly (the legislature's lower house ). In June 1884, Governor Grover Cleveland signed the New Parks Act into law, authorizing the creation of the park system. Legal disputes carried on for years. Opponents argued that building a park system would divert funds from more important infrastructure, and that everyone in the city would need to pay taxes to pay for the parks' construction, regardless of whether they lived near
4104-474: The Staten Island Greenbelt . NYC Parks produces many special events, including concerts and movie premieres. In the summer, the busiest season, the agency organizes free carnivals and concerts, and sends mobile recreation vans to travel throughout the five boroughs providing free rental equipment for skating, baseball, and miniature golf . The symbol of the department is a cross between the leaf of
4218-589: The Tallapoosa Club political group started leasing part of the peninsula from the city during the summer, hosting activities there. The club's presence gave the peninsula its current name, and in turn, the club's name was derived from Tallapoosa, Georgia , where some of its members had fought during the American Civil War . The Tallapoosa Club used a mansion originally built by the Lorillard family. They used
4332-489: The Theodore Kazimiroff Nature Trail . The Dutch West India Company purchased the land in 1639. They called it Vreedelandt , which translates to "land of peace", and alternatively Oostdorp , meaning "east village". Oostdorp became the area known as Westchester Square , to the southwest of the current park. In 1642, Anne Hutchinson and her family moved from Rhode Island to Split Rock, along
4446-528: The Works Progress Administration (WPA) under the 1930s New Deal program. Moses canceled 625 leases for the project, and after campers unsuccessfully sued the city, the site was cleared of campers in June. Moses decided to connect Hunter Island and the Twin Islands to Rodman's Neck by filling in most of LeRoy's Bay. The deteriorated Hunter Mansion was demolished with the construction of
4560-502: The "Orchard Beach Lagoon", or the Lagoon for short. The lagoon between Orchard Beach and the Westchester border had been popular for regattas , or boat races, for decades, but it was neglected through the 1940s and 1950s. Rocks, weeds, and unwanted cars were tossed into the lagoon regularly. The lagoon was chosen as the site of the 1964 Summer Olympics rowing trials, at which point it
4674-463: The 17th century, Pelham Bay Park comprised an archipelago of islands separated by salt marshes and peninsular beaches. Geologically, most of the park's land first formed during the end of the last ice age , the Wisconsin glaciation , which occurred 10,000 to 15,000 years before the first colonists arrived. The melting of the glaciers caused the formation of the current marshes. Sea level rise from
Abingdon Square Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-428: The 1880s, an effort was initiated by Mayor Abram Stevens Hewitt to expand public access to parks. Architect Calvert Vaux was part of a group that created a new design for Abingdon Square. The square was part of a 300-acre (1.2 km) estate purchased by Sir Peter Warren in 1740. Abingdon Square was named for a prominent eighteenth-century area resident, Charlotte Warren, who married Englishman Willoughby Bertie ,
4902-543: The 1888 acquisition of Pelham Bay Park. A tennis court was built on the island in 1899. Twin Island was restored in 1995 as part of the Twin Islands Salt Marsh Restoration Project, which cost $ 850,000. Rodman's Neck is a peninsula located in the central section of the park (at 40°51′09″N 73°48′02″W / 40.852501°N 73.800556°W / 40.852501; -73.800556 ( Rodman's Neck ) ). The southern third of
5016-506: The 1920s as the surrounding areas were developed. The park facilities were dirty and deteriorating due to overuse, and there was a lot of vandalism. Hunter Island was closed and camping was banned, so some park patrons began camping illegally. The current Orchard Beach recreational area and Split Rock golf course was created through the efforts of New York City park commissioner Robert Moses . Immediately after assuming his position in 1934, Moses ordered engineers to inventory every park in
5130-470: The 1930s. A former island, it was part of the Pelham Islands , the historical name for a group of islands in western Long Island Sound that once belonged to Thomas Pell. The Siwanoy referred to the island as "Laap-Ha-Wach King", or "place of stringing beads". The island was then renamed after John Hunter , a successful businessman and politician, who purchased the property in 1804 and moved his family to
5244-572: The 1950s during the Cold War . and the NYPD built the current firing range at the peninsula's southern tip in 1959. Tallapoosa Point is located in the southwest of Pelham Bay Park, near the Pelham Bridge. It used to be a separate island south of Eastchester Bay , having been private property, but was connected to the mainland during the colonial period. The point then became a popular fishing spot. In 1879,
5358-516: The 20th century, Pelham Bay Park's biodiversity decreased: in that time, the park was observed to have lost 25% of its 569 native species of plants as well as 12.5% of its 321 non-native species. Hunter Island ( 40°52′36″N 73°47′24″W / 40.876773°N 73.789866°W / 40.876773; -73.789866 ( Hunter Island ) ) is a 166-acre (67 ha) peninsula filled with woodlands; it had previously been 215 acres (87 ha) until Robert Moses extended Orchard Beach in
5472-580: The 4th Earl of Abingdon and received the land as a wedding gift from her father. Although most explicitly British place names in Manhattan were altered after the Revolutionary War, Abingdon Square retained its name due to the well-known patriotic sympathies of Charlotte and the Earl. In 2005, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation recognized the park's then-recent renovation with
5586-508: The Green and Terrace on the Park . Recreational concessions include facilities such as ice rinks, stables, marinas, and golf courses. In fiscal year 2009, NYC Parks' Revenue Division helped collect over $ 110 million in revenue from various sources including concessions, lease agreements, like those for Citi Field and Yankee Stadium , special events, and dockage. At the turn of the 20th century most of
5700-703: The Hunter Island Wildlife Sanctuary on Twin and Hunter Islands. The Kazimiroff Nature Trail winds through this section. The northwestern section, divided from the eastern section via the Lagoon. It contains both golf courses , as well as the Thomas Pell Sanctuary; the Bartow-Pell Woods; Goose Creek Marsh; and the Siwanoy, Bridle, and Split Rock Trails . The park is crossed by Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor railroad at this location, as well as by
5814-536: The Hutchinson River in what is now Pelham Bay Park. Although the family was English, the land was part of New Netherland under Dutch authority. The exact location of the Hutchinson house is unknown, with one scholar saying that the house was in the modern-day park on the east side of the Hutchinson River, and another saying that the house was on the west side of the river in now Baychester . The Siwanoy destroyed
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#17330861965815928-678: The Hutchinson settlement and killed the family in August 1643, in reprisal for the unrelated massacres carried out under Willem Kieft 's direction of the Dutch West India Company's New Amsterdam colony. In 1654 an Englishman named Thomas Pell purchased 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) from the Siwanoy, comprising the land of the current Pelham Bay Park as well as the nearby town of Pelham, New York , and made his estate on 9,188 acres (3,718 ha) of that land. The current park consists of
6042-522: The NYC Parks Enforcement Patrol Mounted Auxiliary Unit is a volunteer unit within the department. This unit is made up of private citizens who volunteer their time by working with officers of the Parks Enforcement Patrol. Auxiliary officers patrol in uniform and on horseback in various NYC parks, and "ensure the preservation of the natural and living resources in the city's parks, as well as the safety of those utilizing
6156-563: The New York City Parks and Recreation Department, which collects trash and locks and unlocks the gates. Annual Conservancy events include a spring tulip display, Tulip Celebration (a member appreciation cocktail party), a carved Pumpkin Patch on Halloween night and a winter holiday decoration and light display. The M11 , M12 and M14A SBS bus lines terminate at Abingdon Square. The New York City Subway 's 14th Street/Eighth Avenue station
6270-666: The Pelham Bay waterfront on the eastern side of the manor. The land was the site of the Battle of Pell's Point during the American Revolutionary War . After the British forces unsuccessfully attempted to trap the main body of the Continental Army on the island of Manhattan , British Army commander-in-chief General Sir William Howe looked for another location along Long Island Sound to disembark his troops. On October 18, 1776, he landed 4,000 men at Pelham , close to
6384-640: The Rodman's Neck Firing Range at the southern tip of the peninsula. Previously, the parkland at Rodman's Neck had been underused, with the NYPD and United States Army using the land at various times. The City began landfill operations on Tallapoosa Point in Pelham Bay Park in 1963. Plans to expand the landfills in Pelham Bay Park in 1966, which would have created the City's second-largest refuse disposal site next to Fresh Kills in Staten Island , were met with widespread community opposition. The landfill expansion
6498-418: The Siwanoy, land which would become known as Pelham Manor after Charles II 's 1666 charter. During the American Revolutionary War , the land was a buffer between British-held New York City and rebel-held Westchester, serving as the site of the Battle of Pell's Point , where Massachusetts militia hiding behind stone walls (still visible at one of the park's golf courses) stopped a British advance. The park
6612-472: The Square as a scenic and historic landmark. The Conservancy is solely dependent on private donations for its operations and receives no public funding. The Conservancy employs a horticulturalist to design and maintain plantings, provide gardening services, liaise with the City, and supervise maintenance in the park. A groundskeeper is employed to keep the Square clean. The Square is maintained in cooperation with
6726-720: The Volunteers and the Professional Officers. Since inception it has provided several hundred thousand dollars towards the operation of the Mounted Unit, including the Capital Construction of a new barn. Former Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe was quoted as saying "there is some doubt that the Parks Department could afford to run a mounted unit without the Mounted Auxiliary." Auxiliary officers do not have powers beyond
6840-407: The bathhouse pavilion in 1952 and to the northern jetty in 1955. A new concession stand was added north of the pavilion in 1962, and a privately funded Golf driving range was also added that year. The beach was renovated starting in 1964. In 1959, after the Rodman's Neck section of the park had been used for various purposes, the New York City Police Department used land from the park to create
6954-488: The beach. The golf courses were reopened in June 1935, sixteen months after construction commenced. John van Kleek designed the brand-new Split Rock golf course as part of the city's program to upgrade or build ten golf courses around the city. A final design for the beach was unveiled in July 1935. The beach project involved filling in approximately 110 acres (45 ha) of LeRoy's and Pelham Bays with landfill, followed by
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#17330861965817068-491: The city to see what needed renovating. He devised plans for a new Orchard Beach recreation area after he saw the popularity of the Hunter Island campsite. On February 11, 1934, Moses announced a plan for the new golf course. Two weeks later, he announced another plan for the upgraded beach, which had been inspired by the design of Jones Beach on Long Island . The beach and existing golf course would be reconstructed through
7182-443: The city, NYC Parks decided to keep 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt Parks in their natural state, unlike some of the other parks closer to Manhattan, which were being extensively landscaped. None of the houses were rented in 1899, but by 1900, thirty-six houses in the park were being used as private residences, comprising 75% of houses rented within parks in the Bronx. This number dropped to thirty-three
7296-435: The concept of the Parks Enforcement Patrol was first thought of by Bronx Parks Commissioner Joe Hennessy, who reported in the "1919 Annual Report of the Department of Parks" the "necessity of a proper protective force" to be established. The following year in his 1920 annual report to the mayor, Commissioner Hennessy once again pushed for a full-time park police force. On page 16 of the 1920 annual report, he wrote that "Vandalism
7410-501: The concerns of Westchester property owners who lost land during the park system's acquisition, the New York City Commissioners of Estimate distributed compensation payments. The Commissioners of Estimate paid a combined $ 9 million (equivalent to $ 305,200,000 in 2023), but some land owners sued for more compensation in 1889. In 1890, Mullaly proposed using the site for the 1893 World's Fair due to its size; however,
7524-543: The current park. A brigade of 750 men under the command of the American Colonel John Glover were already inland, and they attacked the British advance units from behind a series of stone walls. After a series of attacks, the British broke off, and the Americans retreated. In 1836, Robert Bartow, a descendant of Thomas Pell, bought 30 acres (12 ha) of his ancestor's old estate. By 1842, construction
7638-468: The directors have been: 40°46′3.5″N 73°58′16.7″W / 40.767639°N 73.971306°W / 40.767639; -73.971306 Pelham Bay Park Pelham Bay Park is a municipal park located in the northeast corner of the New York City borough of the Bronx . It is, at 2,772 acres (1,122 ha), the largest public park in New York City. The park is more than three times
7752-405: The east. Approximately one third of the original bay was filled in to create Orchard Beach from 1934 to 1938. Eastchester Bay is a body of water that separates City Island and most of the park from the park's southwest portion and the rest of the Bronx. It is crossed by the Pelham Bridge, which connects the two parts of the park. It is technically also a sound, and the northern end connects via
7866-744: The ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's residents and visitors. NYC Parks maintains more than 1,700 public spaces, including parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities, across the city's five boroughs . It is responsible for over 1,000 playgrounds , 800 playing fields, 550 tennis courts , 35 major recreation centers, 66 pools, 14 miles (23 km) of beaches, and 13 golf courses , as well as seven nature centers, six ice skating rinks , over 2,000 greenstreets, and four major stadiums . NYC Parks also cares for park flora and fauna, community gardens, 23 historic houses, over 1,200 statues and monuments, and more than 2.5 million trees. The total area of
7980-414: The fair was eventually awarded to Chicago instead. The Pell family's burial vault was also marked for preservation that year, and in July 1891, the descendants of the Pell family were given permission to maintain and restore the plot. After the park opened, several individuals were allowed to reside in the mansions within the park. In 1892, the New York City Department of Public Parks separately allowed
8094-420: The general public alike. "Explorer" programs are available for activities such as canoeing in the city's flagship parks in all five boroughs. NYC Urban Park Rangers are easily identified by their uniforms. Although NYC Park Rangers possess peace officer status, their primary mission is environmental education, protection of park resources, and visitor safety. Law enforcement in city parks is the responsibility of
8208-512: The island in 1813. They built a mansion in the English Georgian style at the highest point on the island (90 feet above sea level). The mansion was destroyed in 1937 during the construction of Orchard Beach. In 1967, the island became part of the Hunter Island Wildlife Sanctuary. Twin Island, at 40°52′16″N 73°47′04″W / 40.871186°N 73.784389°W / 40.871186; -73.784389 ( Twin Island ) ,
8322-526: The jurisdiction of the Department of Parks and Recreation on foot, bicycle, horseback, boat and marked patrol trucks. PEP officers are also responsible for physical site inspections of NYC park concession facilities to assure the concessionaires compliance with state laws. The New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency whose mission is to provided police patrol service and investigate all crimes that occur within New York City which includes parks areas and facilities. Following
8436-481: The land comprising the current Pelham Bay Park was part of Anne Hutchinson 's short-lived dissident colony. Part of New Netherland , it was destroyed in 1643 by a Siwanoy attack in reprisal for the unrelated massacres carried out under Willem Kieft 's direction of the Dutch West India Company 's New Amsterdam colony. In 1654 an Englishman named Thomas Pell purchased 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) from
8550-569: The mainland by fill, and are part of the park. Several islands in the Long Island Sound (including the Chimney Sweeps Islands ), as well as Goose Island in the Hutchinson River, are also part of Pelham Bay Park. The park is divided into several sections, including two main sections roughly divided by Eastchester Bay . In the eastern section of Pelham Bay Park is Orchard Beach and its parking lot. The eastern section also contains
8664-473: The mansion until October 1, 1895. Tallapoosa Point was used as a dump from 1963 until 1968, when landfill operations ceased and it became a part of the Wildlife Refuge. Since then it has been a part of the park, but there was an obscure proposal in the 1970s to make Tallapoosa into a ski slope . Tallapoosa Point was later re-planted and serves as a bird habitat. Between City Island and Orchard Beach
8778-488: The mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg . Often the initiatives of Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe were controversial. Most businesses that operate or generate revenue on New York City parkland are considered concessions and must obtain a permit or license from the Revenue Division of Parks. Pursuant to the City's Concession Rules, these licenses and permits are generally awarded through a public solicitation process, such as
8892-462: The melting glaciers caused sedimentation along the shore, creating sand and mud flats . Gradually, saltwater cordgrass started to retain sediment, causing some of the inland marshes to flood only during high tide . The Siwanoy (transliterated as "southern people") were the first Native American tribe to inhabit the Long Island Sound 's northern shoreline east to Connecticut . They lived
9006-486: The most suitable locations for boat racing in the United States. Multiple colleges, including Columbia , Manhattan , St. John's , Fordham , Iona , and Yale , utilized the lagoon for collegiate rowing practice. Turtle Cove is a small cove along the north side of City Island Road west of Orchard Beach Road. Around the early 1900s, a land berm was created across Turtle Cove for rails for horsecars . This berm caused
9120-447: The next year. In spring 1902, NYC Parks destroyed two houses in the park and used the remaining wood to build free bathhouses, which were used by about 700 bathers per day during that summer. Around 1903, Hunter Island became a popular summer vacation destination. Due to overcrowding on Hunter Island, NYC Parks opened a campsite two years later at Rodman's Neck on the south tip of the island, with 100 bathhouses. Orchard Beach, at
9234-402: The north end of Turtle Cove to become mostly freshwater , which attracted freshwater drinking rare birds in the meadow. A 3-foot (0.91 m) diameter concrete culvert was placed across the berm to allow salt water from Eastchester Bay, but leaves and vegetation blocked this culvert. Starting in June 2009, NYC Parks started a restoration project for the cove, removing the old culvert and digging
9348-536: The objection of the New York City Police Department , Commissioner Hennessy established the first Park Patrol Harbor unit when he obtained two small motor boats from the Navy which he immediately put into service and had park staff patrol the waterways of the Hutchinson River . In 1922, Commissioner Henessy (through his annual report) requested the mayor to establish special magistrates to deal with park related violations
9462-525: The occupation of the Hunter, Hoyt, and Twin Island houses. The next year, two buildings near Pelham Bridge were auctioned off. Pelham Bay Park's ownership was passed to New York City when the part of the Bronx east of the Bronx River was annexed to the city in 1895. Despite the park being for public use, some of the old estates remained standing, with a few occupied by private families. Due to its distance from
9576-409: The park from 1986 to 1995. Pelham Bay Park was also very dirty, and discarded trash from several decades prior was still visible. NYPD officers on these cases theorized that the frequency of body dumpings might be attributable to two things: the park's remote location near highways, as well as a belief that the parkland is haunted by the remains of the Siwanoy buried there. In 1990, NYC Parks received
9690-432: The park plan. The government of New York City also did not want to pay taxes to the town of Pelham if it bought the land for the park, which had been one of the reasons for its initial opposition to acquiring the land. There was a proposal to have New York City pay taxes to Pelham if it acquired the land, which the city's Tax Department called "entirely novel, and of course, wrong". Despite Pelham residents' opposition to
9804-539: The park were part of the town's 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) area at that time, but could not be taxed, nearly halving the town's tax revenues from land area. One Pelham resident's letter to New York City Mayor Abram Hewitt , asking for financial assistance to supplement the town's growing tax rate, was published in The New York Times in February 1887. A month later, a group of Pelham residents petitioned Hewitt to oppose
9918-532: The park, the city acquired the land for Pelham Bay Park in 1887, and it officially became a park in 1888. Pelham Bay Park became a recreation area under the auspices of the Bronx Parks Department, which bought the land for $ 2,746,688, equivalent to $ 93,143,242 in 2023. The park used land from multiple estates spread out over an excess of 1,700 acres (690 ha). Some of the old estates' mansions were still standing twenty years later. To alleviate
10032-456: The parks, by maintaining a clearly visible presence. They monitor areas that are not accessible by vehicle; they deter, identify and report illegal or unsafe activities that require Parks Enforcement Patrol or police attention; and they advise the public on park rules and regulations." As an IRS 501C Corporation, the Auxiliary solicits funding to purchase horses, tack and provide training for both
10146-483: The parks. In particular, Pelham Bay Park was located within Westchester County at the time, out of city limits. The city was reluctant to pay to buy the parkland because of the cost and locations. Supporters argued that the parks were for the benefit of all the city's citizens; that the value of properties near the parks would appreciate greatly over time; that the Pelham Bay Park site could easily be converted into
10260-635: The parkway's exit ramp. Another park trail, called the Split Rock Trail, leads from the Bartow Circle to the rock. The Split Rock Golf Course was named after the rock. Split Rock also gives its name to Split Rock Road in Pelham Manor , which used to extend into the park itself. The rock appears to be a glacial erratic and derives its name from a large crevice dividing the stone into two half domes. The huge rock broke in half about 10,000 years ago under
10374-408: The peninsula is used as a firing range by the New York City Police Department (NYPD); the remaining wooded section is part of Pelham Bay Park. The north side, which is joined to the rest of Pelham Bay Park near Orchard Beach, contains several baseball fields . Two small land berms between Rodman's Neck and City Island consist of the island's only connecting road to the mainland. Rodman's Neck
10488-508: The properties maintained by the department is over 30,000 acres (120 km ). The largest single component of parkland maintained by the department is the 2,765-acre (1,119 ha) Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. Other large parks administered by NYC Parks include Central Park in Manhattan, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, and
10602-580: The proposed landfill expansion site. However, the state and federal governments did not favor the landfill being located at Tallapoosa. In October, Mayor John Lindsay signed a law authorizing in the creation of two wildlife refuges , the Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary and the Hunter Island Marine Zoology and Geology Sanctuary , on the site where the landfill was planned to be expanded. Tallapoosa West continued to be used as
10716-551: The remaining property on behalf of the Huguenots , and with that land, founded the town of New Rochelle for the Huguenots. Upon John Pell's death in 1700, he willed the property to his son Joseph, who in turn transferred ownership to his own son, John. Ownership of the manor then went to the Bartow family, who were maternal descendants of the Pell family. The Pell family burial plot faced
10830-466: The same day the violator was arrested, provide police authority to the parks commissioners (each borough had a commissioner), and provide funding for a park patrol unit because the New York City Police officers "detailed to the Bronx parks in the summer on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are not anxious to serve summonses or enforce the ordinances" A unified citywide New York City Parks Department
10944-405: The seawall, adding a dog run, and creating a new walking trail. In 2012, Native American shell middens were found at Tallapoosa Point , prompting an archaeological investigation. Further digs at the site uncovered more than a hundred artifacts, some of which dated to the third century CE . Work on the restoration project was paused in June 2015 as a result of the finds. The restoration project
11058-424: The size of Manhattan 's Central Park . The park is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). Pelham Bay Park contains many geographical features, both natural and man-made. The park includes several peninsulas, including Rodman's Neck , Tallapoosa Point, and the former Hunter and Twin Islands . A lagoon runs through the center of Pelham Bay Park, and Eastchester Bay splits
11172-452: The southernmost portion of Pell's estate, excluding Hart Island and City Island . Pell's land became known as Pelham Manor after Charles II 's 1666 charter, and parts of Pell's land claim were in conflict with that of other nearby settlers. Pell died in 1669, willing his property to his nephew John, who sold off City Island in 1685. The land grant was renewed in 1687. The next year, Jacob Leisler bought 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of
11286-540: The southwestern corner from the rest of the park. There are also several recreational areas within the park. Orchard Beach runs along Pelham Bay on the park's eastern shore. Two golf courses and various nature trails are located within the park's central section. Other landmarks include the Bartow-Pell Mansion , a city landmark, as well as the Bronx Victory Column & Memorial Grove. Before its creation,
11400-527: The staffing of New York City parks were patronage jobs. In the 1950s and 1960s, public sector unions organized most park workers which was considered at the time the first major political defeat of Robert Moses . During the city's fiscal crisis in the 1970s, the Department of Parks and Recreation City adapted practices such as using welfare recipients and volunteers to do work previously completed by unionized workers and to forge partnerships with nonprofit organizations and local sports leagues. Yorkville Sports (YSA)
11514-540: The stress of glacial movements. Split Rock is also the location near where, in 1643, Anne Hutchinson and members of her family were massacred by Native Americans of the Siwanoy Tribe. Her daughter, Susanna , the only member of the family to survive the massacre, was at the rock during the time of the attack, which took place at the house, a distance away. In 1904, the New York State Legislature approved
11628-414: The time a tiny recreational area on the northeast tip of Rodman's Neck, was expanded that year. In 1904, an athletic field was opened within Pelham Bay Park. By 1917, Hunter Island saw half a million seasonal visitors. Orchard Beach also became popular, with an average of 2,000 visitors on summer weekdays and 5,000 visitors on summer weekends in 1912. However, the park's condition started to decline in
11742-581: The western and eastern Bronx respectively. He formed the New York Park Association in November 1881. There were objections to the system, which would apparently be too far from Manhattan, in addition to precluding development on the site. However, newspapers and prominent lobbyists, who supported such a park system, were able to petition the bill into the New York State Senate , and later,
11856-413: Was blocked by the causeway to Hunter Island. By 1902, there were calls to remove the causeway so LeRoy's Bay could be used as a raceway. The New York City Department of Public Parks decided to create a "temporary" wooden bridge and remove the causeway to allow the bay's tides to flow freely. Most of the lagoon was filled in during the mid-1930s reconstruction of Orchard Beach, and the bay became known as
11970-454: Was complete on the Bartow-Pell Mansion , the family's manor. Bartow died in 1868, and his family sold the mansion to the city in the 1880s. The mansion was vacant until 1915, when the city and International Garden Club assumed joint maintenance of the building. In the 1870s, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted envisioned a greenbelt across the Bronx, consisting of parks and parkways that would align more with existing geography than
12084-460: Was created in 1888, under the auspices of the Bronx Parks Department, largely inspired by the vision of John Mullaly , and passed to New York City when the part of the Bronx east of the Bronx River was annexed to the city in 1895. Orchard Beach, one of the city's most popular, was created through the efforts of Robert Moses in the 1930s. Before the colonization of what is now New York State in
12198-438: Was dedicated in July 1936 despite only being partially complete. The beach officially opened on June 25, 1937. Soon after Orchard Beach opened, it was expanded, starting with the southern locker room in 1939. The water between Hunter and Twin Islands was filled in during 1946 and 1947, with new jetties at each end of the beach. The promenade was extended over the fill and opened in 1947, Further improvements were made to
12312-437: Was formed in 1934 with Robert Moses as the commissioner, a position he held until 1960. In 1968 it was reorganized as the "Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Administration. In 1976 it was given its current name. In 2001, the department underwent an investigation after the U.S. Attorney's Office received complaints from employees that they had suffered employment discrimination. The lawsuit alleged that NYC Parks violated
12426-488: Was heavily contaminated with "toxic wastes" dumped from 1964 to 1979. The waste from the landfill reportedly led to health problems for residents of nearby communities such as Country Club . The Tallapoosa landfill at Pelham Bay Park was designated a hazardous-waste site in 1988, and cleanup began in 1989. In 1983, the Theodore Kazimiroff Environmental Center was proposed for the park, alongside
12540-710: Was one of those that helped maintain athletic fields prior to use and assumed responsibilities previously handled by the public sector. During this time the Central Park Conservancy and the Prospect Park Alliance were formed. GreenThumb was created in 1978 to utilize vacant city owned land as garden spaces. By 1989 there were over 1,000 gardens. In the 1990s the program contracted as gardens were repurposed to build housing. Currently, there are over 550 gardens supported by GreenThumb. Since 1934, when New York City Parks Department Commissioners were unified,
12654-417: Was part of the historic Pell property, and since the city acquired the peninsula in 1888, it has been used for multiple purposes. It was used as a United States Army training location during World War I , and was converted to under-utilized parkland in the 1920s. From 1930 to 1936, the peninsula was incorporated as part of Camp Mulrooney, a summer camp for the NYPD. The Army used Rodman's Neck again in
12768-487: Was restarted in September 2015. At 2,772 acres (1,122 ha), Pelham Bay Park is the city's largest, being slightly more than three times the size of the 843-acre (341 ha) Central Park. Pelham Bay Park includes 13 miles (21 km) of shoreline as well as land on both sides of the Hutchinson River . Hunter Island , Twin Island , and Two-Trees Island, all formerly true islands in Pelham Bay, are now connected to
12882-478: Was seen as a way to alleviate the city's accumulations of waste, and Tallapoosa was seen as the only suitable location to put the landfill. The preservation effort was headed by Dr. Theodore Kazimiroff , a Bronx historian and head of The Bronx County Historical Society . It suffered setbacks in August 1967 when the New York City Board of Estimate voted against an initial effort to create to protected area in
12996-513: Was widened and dredged, becoming a four-lane, 2,000-meter (6,600 ft) rowing track. The track, which cost $ 630,000, was hosted jointly by the city and the organizers of the 1964 New York World's Fair . New York City hosted several of the 1964 Olympic trials at various locations as part of the World's Fair the same year. Afterward, the now-unnamed lagoon was used by New York-area colleges for boating regattas, since it had been determined to be one of
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