[223] Its southern end is cut off by the Major Deegan Expressway in the southwestern end of the park. The events were attended by about 10,000 people, and the championship race was 6 miles (9.7km) long. [327][325] However, due to that plan's high cost, the route was amended[325] and the Henry Hudson Parkway became an extension of the West Side Elevated Highway, cutting straight through the park to intersect with the Saw Mill River Parkway. Police make arrest in 2013 Vannie murder - The Riverdale Press [31][32] British General William Howe made the house his headquarters on November 13, 1776,[33] thus placing it behind British-held ground. One legend has it that a cross-country coach thought that Van Cortlandt Park's tracks were too hard and instead went to the New Jersey Meadowlands to train. The park also contains five major hiking trails and other walking trails. [109][110] However, during and following World War I, the Parade Ground was used for war training. [2] The Lenapes used the geographic features of the area to support their community; for instance, they used the Tibbetts Brook, Spuyten Duyvil Creek, or Hudson River for fishing, and flatland areas for farming. Police. The Van Cortlandt Golf Course also had trails, as did the Old Croton Aqueduct and near Jerome Avenue and Holly Lane. [252][260] The stadium opened on September 22, 1939, to a day of track events and a football game between Manhattan College and Fordham University. [180] NYC Parks started renovating the Woodlawn Playground in 2021 for $1 million. [181] One of the pedestrian bridges, which would have crossed the Major Deegan Expressway, was postponed in 2020 after its cost had increased to $23 million; the bridge was canceled in 2023. [71] It is located at the southeast end of the park. 20. The plant was needed in order to filter contaminants from urban runoff pollution in the Croton River watershed and protect the public from Giardia and Cryptosporidium, microorganisms which can cause serious health problems. [72][71][74][75] The course added a clubhouse in 1902,[76] which also doubled as an ice-skating house. Its flora included cattail, skunk cabbage, and moss. [219] The exposed rocks also contain mica and quartz. Van Cortlandt Park - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Some players added an extra cluba night stickor tucked tear gas spray into their golf bags. [19][62] The construction of the Parade Ground required demolition of a few old buildings and cornfields. Both found the proposed route, which ran through the present-day park, to be okay. [140] By 1964, with the use of artificial snow, it was also possible to ski during warmer days. When Frederick Law Olmsted mapped the streets of the Bronx in 1876, he proposed that New York City buy the Van Cortlandt family estate because he believed the property was already as beautiful as Central Park. [295] In 2019, it was announced that the two organizations would merge that June. of George B. McClellan, New York City Municipal Archives. City Now Has the Answer", New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, "Van Cortlandt Park Highlights Van Cortlandt Park the Wetlands of New York City", "SPRING LIFE OF A MARSH; Birds and Flowers of Park Swamp Are Observed By the Hiker Home of the Yellowthroat Gay Insect Life", New York-New Jersey Trail Conference 2009, "Van Cortlandt Park Putnam Greenway Construction: NYC Parks", "METROPOLITAN BAEDEKER; The Bucolic Pleasures Of Van Cortlandt Park", "Putnam Greenway, Van Cortlandt Park, Project Overview and Plans", "Van Cortlandt Park Putnam Greenway Construction", "Parks officials poised to pave Putnam Trail", "Pedestrian Bridge in Van Cortlandt Park Has an Obstacle: $7.5 Million", "Draft Final Report Van Cortlandt Park Pedestrian Bridge Feasibility Study (Part 1)", "Draft Final Report Van Cortlandt Park Pedestrian Bridge Feasibility Study (Part 2)", "City Announces Plans to Construct New Pedestrian Bridge Over Major Deegan", "$12 million pedestrian bridge in Van Cortlandt Park to be built", "Van Cortlandt Park Highlights The John Kieran Nature Trail", "Daily What?! [114], In 1922, there was a proposal to acquire land for the future Saw Mill River Parkway, which would connect the park to 424 acres (172ha) of open space in Westchester when completed. [63] The Parade Ground was immediately used by the National Guard for brigade practice, replacing the parade ground of Prospect Park. [170], To lessen the disruption caused by the plant's construction, in 2010 the city used mitigation funds from the construction budget to restore the Van Cortlandt Park Parade Ground. [333] Since community leaders had some objections to the proposal, Moses held a public hearing to discuss it. [326] Moses immediately started planning for the Henry Hudson Parkway, which was originally envisioned as an extension of Riverside Drive. [150] In 1985, the city licensed control of the courses to Los Angeles-based American Golf Corporation for 60 years, leading to their restoration. [20][196] The gristmill was destroyed by lightning in 1901. [238] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1967 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1976. [340] The Major Deegan Expressway was finally opened through the park in 1955. [233] Some trail sections are a part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile-long (4,800km) trail system connecting Maine to Florida. Hold the "Shift" key down, and click on the link to open it in a new window.) "[98] In 1896, they proposed to fill the wetlands in,[202] and the infill proposal was funded by the New York City Board of Estimate in 1899. However, none of the scenes were filmed in the Bronx. Contained within the park is the Van Cortlandt House Museum, the oldest surviving building in the Bronx, and the Van Cortlandt Golf Course, the oldest public golf course in the country. [288] The cross-country trail is used for the Manhattan College Invitational, one of the largest high school cross-country meets in the nation. [210], There are several old-growth forests with tree species and genera such as black oak, hickory, beech, cherry birch, sweetgum, red maple, and tuliptree. All Land Is in Park Area. [55][57][54][58], Legal disputes carried on for years, exacerbated by the fact that Luther R. Marsh, vice president of the New York Park Association, owned land near Van Cortlandt Park in particular. The plan aims at deploying, before the end of 2023, 1,200 fuel cell vehicles, 20 hydrogen stations, including several . Man walks into Bronx police precinct, confesses to 2013 murder The Van Cortlandt House, which would later be designated as a historic landmark, was converted into a public museum, and new paths were created across the property to make it more passable. [41][42] Douglass made estimates for the new aqueduct in 18331834 and John Martineau performed a separate study in 1834. [230], The Cass Gallagher Nature Trail (1.4 miles (2.3km), moderate/difficult) is the hardest trail in the park. [10] The marsh to the southwest of the Van Cortlandt Station was converted to a lake. [179] The skate park, new playground, and path improvements were completed in 2020. The park's recreational facilities were quite popular, with more than 10,000 people using them on a busy day. John, identified as "my negro man slave". The clubhouse received an infusion of historic golf artifacts from NYC Parks, including "vintage photographs" and an exhibit about the history of the golf ball. ; Old Albany Post Road Marker Reset at Van Cortlandt Park", "Van Cortlandt Park Highlights Memorial Grove", "Memorial Grove opens in Van Cortlandt Park", "New York Today: Inside the Greenhouse That Grows the City's Flowers", "Van Cortlandt Park Highlights Parade Ground", "Fighting for a Hallowed and Grueling Ground", "Tokio View of San Francisco Riots. [195], There is no surviving documentation for the creation of Van Cortlandt Lake. [297] The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, an independent nonprofit established in 1978,[298] provided educational programs and assists in the upkeep of the park's natural areas. Once a plantation belonging to the Dutch Van Cortlandt family of New. [274] The 1899 Bendelow reconstruction had rebuilt the course so that it now spanned 120 acres (49ha), compared to the 55 acres (22ha) of the previous course. Bee-Line Bus System's 1, 2, 3, 4, 20, and 21 routes also provide service to Westchester. [219] The remains of the former Van Cortlandt Park station can be seen along the trail. It ran off the main New York and Putnam Railroad line immediately north of the Van Cortlandt station. "Taxpayers Association Meeting", New York Advance and Westchester Gazette, December 26, 1896, p. 1. [118] Moses's development plans in the 1930s called for the construction of the Henry Hudson Parkway and Mosholu Parkway to bisect Van Cortlandt Park and meet at a trumpet interchange about half a mile north of the center, merging into the Saw Mill River Parkway. [353] The 242nd Street station was part of the first subway line of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company,[75] running along the current IRT BroadwaySeventh Avenue Line to City Hall[354][355] and later South Ferry. [177] As of March 2014[update] when the report was written, the lack of natural drainage points within Van Cortlandt Park led to the flooding of recreational areas within the park during heavy rains. Van Cortlandt Park : NYC Parks The 1975 New York City fiscal crisis caused much of the park to fall into disrepair. Telephone: 718-430-1890. [121][164] Since then, there have been seven plans for restoring natural elements of the park, as well as three plans for park restoration. [121] Such construction continued until 1955, during which the Major Deegan Expressway (current Interstate 87) was also built, bisecting the Mosholu Parkway. [154] The Parade Ground remained popular, and the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera performed in the field during the summer. It wasn't ghosts, but there was a ghastly event that took place in what is now Van Cortlandt Park in 1778: the Stockbridge Indian Massacre. [231] There is a large, steep hill in the center of the trail. It ran off the main New York and Putnam Railroad line immediately north of the Van Cortlandt station. [277], On July 13, 1905, Isaac Mackie won an Open Tournament at the Van Cortlandt Park course, shooting 152 and holding off joint second-place finishers Willie Anderson and Bernard Nicholls who finished at 157.