Beekman Park
Encyclopedia
Beekman Park is a small local park in the census-designated place
of Amenia
, part of Dutchess County, New York
. It is located on U.S. Route 44
and is visible off New York State Route 22
and New York State Route 343
across from a nearby restaurant. In 1974, the land upon which the park is located was sold to the Town of Amenia by Walter Beekman for the sum of $1. The park was officially opened in 1983. Before the park existed, it was the site of Lake Amenia, formed in the 1920s by a freshwater dam over a sawmill pond at the intersection of Lake Amenia Road and West Lake Amenia Road. The dam's original use was to power a nearby saw mill where, with the new lake in place, the town got a large benefit, with people now having the opportunity to swim and to enhance the comforting character of the town. During the 1920s, the lake became surrounded by lake cottages, pavilions, docks, and some railings. Consequently, the town tried to latch-on to this idea by publishing brochures advertising the residences.
Lake Amenia remained intact for another 30 years, however, in 1955, Hurricane Diane
struck the area and eradicated any trace of the lake. The storm's heavy rains caused the lake's water gates to fail. The resulting flood drained the lake. This area is now part of the New York State Wetlands. In 1974, the land that makes up the park, including the remains of the lake, now the wetlands, were sold to the Town of Amenia for a single dollar, by Walter Beekman. Groups of volunteers began construction on the park, which included the ballfields
. The park officially opened in 1983, with the first Little League games being played on one of their fields, with two more fields coming in soon after. The park remains in active use to this date.
on the New York Central Railroad
to visit the lakeside resorts and summer camps on the lake.
As popular as the community had become, there were no doubts that the end of vacationing in Amenia would soon imminent. In 1955, during the destruction left by Hurricane Diane
swept through New York and Pennsylvania, the dam on Lake Amenia burst. Local legends state that the floodgates to open Lake Amenia's dam were supposed to be opened for the high waters. However, the damkeeper dropped his keys into the rushing waters of Lake Amenia, and the resulting outflow caused a catastrophe. The lake overtook much of the community, including the golf course, and although the flooding receded, the dam was never repaired. The community could not adapt to the sweeping changes from flooding and the popular community became a economic ghost town. Locals reported that the once busy streets of Amenia became empty storefronts. Much of the lake drained into wetlands, some of which has been adaptive into the Wassaic portion of the New York State Wetlands. People often would comment that Lake Amenia Road, named after the lake on the southern side of Beekman Park, served no lake.
towards Sharon, Connecticut
, but on stable ground. On May 14, 2009, the town of Amenia secured $3,829 (2009 USD) from their recreation fund to help make improvements to Beekman Park, and on June 11, 2009, the money distribution was approved.
The park is made up mainly of three baseball
and softball
fields. The three fields are named after famous players in Amenia, including that named for William "Doc" Bartlett, which was opened in 1985. There are some undeveloped parts, with a house running along the northern edge of the park. At the northeast corner, there is a remnant of the old dam that impounded former Lake Amenia. There are two ways to access Beekman Park, one by foot and one by car. The first is on U.S. Route 44
, where the parking lot (which holds approximately 75 cars), is located. The second, a pedestrian entrance, is at Broadway and East Broadway Avenues.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Amenia
Amenia (CDP), New York
Amenia is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,115 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, part of Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
. It is located on U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 in New York
U.S. Route 44 in the state of New York is a major east–west thoroughfare in the Hudson Valley region of the state. Its entire length is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation, with the exception of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, which is maintained by the New York State Bridge...
and is visible off New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22
New York State Route 22 is a north–south state highway in eastern New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the state's eastern edge from the outskirts of New York City to a short distance south of the Canadian border. At , it is the state's longest north–south route and...
and New York State Route 343
New York State Route 343
New York State Route 343 is a state highway located entirely within central Dutchess County, in the Hudson Valley region of the U.S. state of New York. It runs east–west from the intersection of NY 82 in the village of Millbrook to the Connecticut state line in the town of Amenia, where...
across from a nearby restaurant. In 1974, the land upon which the park is located was sold to the Town of Amenia by Walter Beekman for the sum of $1. The park was officially opened in 1983. Before the park existed, it was the site of Lake Amenia, formed in the 1920s by a freshwater dam over a sawmill pond at the intersection of Lake Amenia Road and West Lake Amenia Road. The dam's original use was to power a nearby saw mill where, with the new lake in place, the town got a large benefit, with people now having the opportunity to swim and to enhance the comforting character of the town. During the 1920s, the lake became surrounded by lake cottages, pavilions, docks, and some railings. Consequently, the town tried to latch-on to this idea by publishing brochures advertising the residences.
Lake Amenia remained intact for another 30 years, however, in 1955, Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
struck the area and eradicated any trace of the lake. The storm's heavy rains caused the lake's water gates to fail. The resulting flood drained the lake. This area is now part of the New York State Wetlands. In 1974, the land that makes up the park, including the remains of the lake, now the wetlands, were sold to the Town of Amenia for a single dollar, by Walter Beekman. Groups of volunteers began construction on the park, which included the ballfields
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
. The park officially opened in 1983, with the first Little League games being played on one of their fields, with two more fields coming in soon after. The park remains in active use to this date.
History: Lake Amenia
On the site of Beekman Park was the former Lake Amenia, a shallow, one and a half acre-wide freshwater lake in the center of Amenia. The lake first originated as a millpond for a local corn and grain mill in the area. Eventually, the mill changed over to a sawmill, and during the 1920s, a dam was built in the millpond, creating Lake Amenia. The lake had two streams that flowed water in and out of the body. One ran near the local pizzeria and one ran near the current-day tennis courts. The freshwater lake became an instant tourist destination two hours north of New York City. People took advantage of the lake, including Beekman and Beekman Inc., a tourist agency developed by two brothers. They used the area around Lake Amenia to develop theaters and a living environment. The lake even had a cemetery built in one of the islands, which exists to this date as Amenia Island Cemetery. People of often Jewish ethnicity would come to the lake for vacationing, which included a pool hall in the post office, beaches, and even a brand new golf course. Summer vacationers would take the train to Amenia StationAmenia (NYCRR station)
The Amenia NYCRR train station served the residents of Amenia, New York via the Harlem Line. Trains left for New York City every two hours. It is 85 miles from Grand Central Terminal and travel time to Grand Central was approximately two hours, sixteen minutes.The station consisted of a single...
on the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
to visit the lakeside resorts and summer camps on the lake.
As popular as the community had become, there were no doubts that the end of vacationing in Amenia would soon imminent. In 1955, during the destruction left by Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
swept through New York and Pennsylvania, the dam on Lake Amenia burst. Local legends state that the floodgates to open Lake Amenia's dam were supposed to be opened for the high waters. However, the damkeeper dropped his keys into the rushing waters of Lake Amenia, and the resulting outflow caused a catastrophe. The lake overtook much of the community, including the golf course, and although the flooding receded, the dam was never repaired. The community could not adapt to the sweeping changes from flooding and the popular community became a economic ghost town. Locals reported that the once busy streets of Amenia became empty storefronts. Much of the lake drained into wetlands, some of which has been adaptive into the Wassaic portion of the New York State Wetlands. People often would comment that Lake Amenia Road, named after the lake on the southern side of Beekman Park, served no lake.
Current: Beekman Park
After the flooding of Hurricane Diane, the former wetlands became the ownership of Walter Beekman from Beekman and Beekman Inc. He kept ownership of the land for only nineteen years before selling the land to the town of Amenia in 1974 for one dollar. The land remained unkept at that point, until the 1980s, when groups of volunteers (funded by the town) started installing ball fields and park like scenery. In 1983, Beekman Park was open for business as the new local park. In 1985, the local baseball fields started hosting their own games for locals team on the local Don Herring Field. Some of the former lake remains, including a portion of the former dam in the southwestern corner of the park, and Amenia Island Cemetery still stands along New York State Route 343New York State Route 343
New York State Route 343 is a state highway located entirely within central Dutchess County, in the Hudson Valley region of the U.S. state of New York. It runs east–west from the intersection of NY 82 in the village of Millbrook to the Connecticut state line in the town of Amenia, where...
towards Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon is a town located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east by the Housatonic River, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York...
, but on stable ground. On May 14, 2009, the town of Amenia secured $3,829 (2009 USD) from their recreation fund to help make improvements to Beekman Park, and on June 11, 2009, the money distribution was approved.
The park is made up mainly of three baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
fields. The three fields are named after famous players in Amenia, including that named for William "Doc" Bartlett, which was opened in 1985. There are some undeveloped parts, with a house running along the northern edge of the park. At the northeast corner, there is a remnant of the old dam that impounded former Lake Amenia. There are two ways to access Beekman Park, one by foot and one by car. The first is on U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 in New York
U.S. Route 44 in the state of New York is a major east–west thoroughfare in the Hudson Valley region of the state. Its entire length is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation, with the exception of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, which is maintained by the New York State Bridge...
, where the parking lot (which holds approximately 75 cars), is located. The second, a pedestrian entrance, is at Broadway and East Broadway Avenues.
See also
- Beth David Synagogue (Amenia, New York)Beth David Synagogue (Amenia, New York)Beth David Synagogue, formally known as Congregation Beth David, is located on East Main Street in the hamlet of Amenia, New York, United States. It is a small brick European-style building erected in the late 1920s....
- Lakes of New York
- Amenia (CDP), New YorkAmenia (CDP), New YorkAmenia is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,115 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...