- Van Cortlandt Park
Infobox park
park=Van Cortlandt Park
image size=300px
caption = The Parade Ground
type=Municipal
location=The Bronx,New York City , NY,USA
coordinates=coord|40|53|52|N|70|53|02|W
size=1,146 acres (4.6 km²),
opened=1888
operator=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
annual visitors=
status=Van Cortlandt Park is a 1,146 acre (4.6 km²) park located in the Bronx in
New York City . It is the fourth largest park inNew York City , behindPelham Bay Park ,Flushing Meadows Park andStaten Island Greenbelt .The park was named for
Stephanus Van Cortlandt , who was the first native-bornmayor of New York , and the Van Cortlandt family, which was prominent in the area during the Dutch and English colonial periods. Contained within the Park is theVan Cortlandt House Museum , the oldest building in the Bronx. The park is operated by theNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation .History
The land that Van Cortlandt Park now occupies was once a vast grain plantation, owned by Frederick Van Cortlandt (1699–1749) and family. In 1748, he built what is now known as the Van Cortlandt House on the property, but died before its completion. Frederick willed the massive home and surrounding lands to his son, James Van Cortlandt (1727–1787).
The Van Cortlandt family land was used during the
Revolutionary War by Rochambeau, Lafayette, and Washington. It was in this area that theStockbridge militia was destroyed by theQueen's Rangers ; a stone memorial was placed at "Indian Field" in 1906. [Cite web|title=Indian Field|publisher=City of New York Parks and Recreation|url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_van_cortlandt_park/vt_van_cort_07.html|accessdate=September 28|accessyear=2008]In 1888, the family property was sold to the
City of New York and made into a public parkland, with the majority of the grain fields converted into a sprawling lawn dubbed "The Parade Ground". The Van Cortlandt House was converted into a public museum and, with the city's approval, particularly overgrown areas of the property were made passable. Wide walking paths were built over original walkways, including the thin paths that led to the Van Cortlandt family cemetery, high on the nearby bluffs.Robert Moses 's development plans in the 1930s called for the construction of theHenry Hudson Parkway andMosholu Parkway to bisect Van Cortlandt Park and meet at acloverleaf interchange about half a mile north of the center. The last remaining freshwatermarsh inNew York State was dredged and landscaped to accommodate construction.The Van Cortlandt House was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1967 and became aNational Historic Landmark in 1976. [ [http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=740&ResourceType=Building Van Courland House]National Park Service ] , [ [http://www.cr.nps.gov/nhl/designations/Lists/NY01.pdf National Historic Landmark Survey, New York] , retrieved June 3, 2007.]The city's fiscal crisis in the 1970s caused much of the park to fall into disrepair. Gradual improvements began taking place from the late 1980s through the mid-2000s, including the addition of new pathways, signage, and security.
Attractions
The Van Cortlandt Golf Course, the nation's first public golf course, opened in 1895 and is located on the park grounds. The "Parade Ground" north of the museum is one of New York's principal
cricket field s. A bicycling path runs through the woods between this lawn and the golf course, northward along Tibbets Brook and the formerNew York and Putnam Railroad line intoYonkers . Another runs east from the golf course's clubhouse to connect to theMosholu Parkway bike path. TheOld Croton Aqueduct Trailway begins in Van Cortlandt Park. A nonprofit group called Friends of Van Cortlandt Park offers educational and stewardship programs in the park.Cross Country
Van Cortlandt Park is a popular site for
cross country running due to its miles of cinder trails, race courses, and hills. The path surrounding the parade ground known to runners as the "flats," is 1.37 miles (2.2 km) around. The infamous "back hills" provide a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) loop in the northwestern section of the park, and is used for the Northeast regional championships of theFoot Locker Cross Country Championships . A modified 2.5-mile (4 km) course is used for the Manhattan Invitational, one of the largesthigh school cross country meets in the nation. Numerous college championships are held in the park as well. It is often used as abenchmark when comparing times and performances from other cross country courses nationwide.References
External links
* [http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_van_cortlandt_park/vt_van_cort_park.html New York City Department of Parks and Recreation VCP page]
* [http://armorytrack.com/xc99/vcp.htm Cross country at Van Cortlandt Park]
* [http://offmanhattan.com/2007/11/11/golf-in-your-backyard/ Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course]
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