Henry Hudson Park
Encyclopedia
Henry Hudson Park is a small park in the Spuyten Duyvil section of The Bronx.
The park is named after famed English
explorer Henry Hudson
, who is also the namesake of the nearby Hudson River
and Henry Hudson Parkway
. In 1906 it was decided to dedicate a monument celebrating the 300th anniversary of Hudson's arrival in what later became Lower New York Bay
. The project encountered multiple delays, but in 1912 a large Doric
column was set in place. Shortly afterwards, however, funds for the project ran out.
The project was revived by Robert Moses
in the late 1930s. By 1938, the area around the monument had been designated as a park and a statue of Henry Hudson
had been placed atop the column. The park underwent major renovations in 1989 and 1995, mainly due to the efforts of local community activist Paul Cymerman http://www.shalomriverdale.org/section.html?id=30. For his dedication and volunteerism, a small playground area of the park was renamed Paul's Park in 2003, the only New York City
park to be named for a living person. After his death in 2004, the local community continued his efforts to keep the park safe and clean.
The park is named after famed English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
explorer Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
, who is also the namesake of the nearby Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and Henry Hudson Parkway
Henry Hudson Parkway
The Henry Hudson Parkway is an long parkway in New York City. The southern terminus is at West 72nd Street in Manhattan, where the parkway continues south as the West Side Highway. It is often erroneously referred to as the West Side Highway throughout its entire course in Manhattan...
. In 1906 it was decided to dedicate a monument celebrating the 300th anniversary of Hudson's arrival in what later became Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay
Lower New York Bay is that section of New York Bay south of the Narrows, the relatively narrow strait between the shores of Staten Island and Brooklyn. The southern end of the bay opens directly to the Atlantic Ocean between two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens, on Long...
. The project encountered multiple delays, but in 1912 a large Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
column was set in place. Shortly afterwards, however, funds for the project ran out.
The project was revived by Robert Moses
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
in the late 1930s. By 1938, the area around the monument had been designated as a park and a statue of Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
had been placed atop the column. The park underwent major renovations in 1989 and 1995, mainly due to the efforts of local community activist Paul Cymerman http://www.shalomriverdale.org/section.html?id=30. For his dedication and volunteerism, a small playground area of the park was renamed Paul's Park in 2003, the only New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
park to be named for a living person. After his death in 2004, the local community continued his efforts to keep the park safe and clean.