Tricentennial Park (Albany, New York)
Encyclopedia
Tricentennial Park is an urban park
in Albany
, New York
built to commemorate that city's three hundredth anniversary as an incorporated city and is the site of several statues and monuments. The park encompasses the entire block bounded by Broadway to the east, Columbia Street to the north, James Street to the west, and Steuben Street to the south. First proposed in 1914 it was built in 1986 as part of the tricentennial celebrations of Albany's incorporation as a city in association with the renovation of the Albany Union Station.
's master plan for the city as published under the name of Stvdies for Albany. It was intended to be a gateway for visitors to the city arriving by train at the Albany Union Station across the street.
The park was built in 1986 on a 150–car surface parking lot as part of the celebrations of Albany's 300th anniversary of becoming a city incorporated under the Dongan Charter
. Originally Corning Park behind City Hall
was to carry the Tricentennial Park name, but that was dropped in favor of dedicating it to Mayor Erastus Corning II who had passed away in 1982. The park cost $378,000 at the time, only $2,000 over budget; with Norstar Bancorp paying for the statuary to be placed in the park. At the time, Norstar was renovating the Union Station across Broadway from the park into the bank's headquarters. A time capsule was placed in the park, to be opened in 2086.
The official opening of the park was delayed to coincide with the grand opening of Norstar's new headquarters at Union Station on September 19, 1986, which was renamed Norstar Plaza (now Kiernan Plaza). Fireworks, a laser show, and a performance by Up with People
were among the highlights of the dedication. In attendance were Governor
Mario Cuomo
, Mayor Whalen, Norstar Bancorp President Peter Kiernan, and Pulitzer Prize
-winning author William Kennedy
.
Less than a year after the park's official opening the statue was defaced with the removal of the Native American's earring and the bending of his feather headdress. Credit for the vandalism was taken by a woman claiming to be representing the "Albany Tea Party", protesting property assessment increases.
constructed by students at Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York
, along with various objects suggested by a write-in competition. Among the selected from the competition for inclusion was a pamphlet of the First Church in Albany, William Kennedy
's novel O' Albany, and master development plans for the city to be compared to the realities on the ground at the opening of the capsule in 100 years.
replica of the official Albany city seal
. The sculpture was designed and created by Hy Rosen, a cartoonist for the Albany Times Union, a regional daily newspaper. The statue, which is more detailed than the actual seal and diverges from the actual city seal in many aspects, such as replacing the generic sloop
on the Hudson River
to the more specific Half Moon of Henry Hudson
fame, the generic tree became a birch
, and the Native American
's bow does not have a string.
In 2005 a bronze statue of Albany's 73rd mayor Thomas Whalen III (served 1983-93) and his golden retriever
named Finn McCool was installed in the park. The statue is seated on a park bench with his right hand on top of the dog's head. Mayor Whalen is the only mayor of Albany to have a statue erected in his honor in the city. A statue for Mayor Corning was proposed and commissioned though it was never cast, a clay model of which sat in Mayor Whalen's office for many years. The statues of Mayor Whalen and his dog are life-size, and including the bench the monument is 16 feet (4.9 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, it was designed by Hy Rosen.
A metal sculpture in the shape of a globe with representations of the United States
(US) and Russia
displayed on it, was dedicated in the park in 2011. Each country has a large star marking the spot of Albany in the US and of Tula
in Russia, with a bridge linking the two. Designed by Steve Kroeger, the sculpture entitled Albany–Tula, Russia, commemorates the 20 year anniversary of the two as sister cities.
tournament sponsored by the Eastern New York Chess Association. The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District
(BID) hosts a Garden Party fundraiser in the park in connection with the annual Sculpture in the Streets event. The city puts on the annual September in the City Art Fair with art, crafts, and live music.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
in Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
built to commemorate that city's three hundredth anniversary as an incorporated city and is the site of several statues and monuments. The park encompasses the entire block bounded by Broadway to the east, Columbia Street to the north, James Street to the west, and Steuben Street to the south. First proposed in 1914 it was built in 1986 as part of the tricentennial celebrations of Albany's incorporation as a city in association with the renovation of the Albany Union Station.
History
A park was first proposed on this site in 1914 as part of architect Arnold W. Brunner and landscape architect Charles Downing LayCharles Downing Lay
Charles Downing Lay was an American landscape architect.-Early Life and Family Estate:The son of Oliver Ingraham Lay, a professional painter, and Hester Marian Wait Lay, Charles Downing Lay was born in Newburgh, New York. At age 7, Lay began spending summers with his grandmother in Stratford,...
's master plan for the city as published under the name of Stvdies for Albany. It was intended to be a gateway for visitors to the city arriving by train at the Albany Union Station across the street.
The park was built in 1986 on a 150–car surface parking lot as part of the celebrations of Albany's 300th anniversary of becoming a city incorporated under the Dongan Charter
Dongan Charter
The Dongan Charter is the 1686 document incorporating Albany, New York as a city. Albany's charter was issued by Governor Thomas Dongan of the Province of New York, a few months after Governor Dongan issued a similarly worded, but less detailed charter for the city of New York. The city of Albany...
. Originally Corning Park behind City Hall
Albany City Hall
Albany City Hall is the seat of government of the city of Albany, New York. It houses the office of the mayor, the Common Council chamber, the city and traffic courts, as well as other city services. The current building was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in his particular Romanesque style and...
was to carry the Tricentennial Park name, but that was dropped in favor of dedicating it to Mayor Erastus Corning II who had passed away in 1982. The park cost $378,000 at the time, only $2,000 over budget; with Norstar Bancorp paying for the statuary to be placed in the park. At the time, Norstar was renovating the Union Station across Broadway from the park into the bank's headquarters. A time capsule was placed in the park, to be opened in 2086.
The official opening of the park was delayed to coincide with the grand opening of Norstar's new headquarters at Union Station on September 19, 1986, which was renamed Norstar Plaza (now Kiernan Plaza). Fireworks, a laser show, and a performance by Up with People
Up with People
Up with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...
were among the highlights of the dedication. In attendance were Governor
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
, Mayor Whalen, Norstar Bancorp President Peter Kiernan, and Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning author William Kennedy
William Kennedy (author)
William Joseph Kennedy is an American writer and journalist born and raised in Albany, New York. Many of his novels feature the interaction of members of the fictional Irish-American Phelan family, and make use of incidents of Albany's history and the supernatural...
.
Less than a year after the park's official opening the statue was defaced with the removal of the Native American's earring and the bending of his feather headdress. Credit for the vandalism was taken by a woman claiming to be representing the "Albany Tea Party", protesting property assessment increases.
Time capsule
The time capsule placed in the park is a 100 pounds (45.4 kg) box that is 1 foot (0.3048 m) deep, 2 foot (0.6096 m) wide, and 3 foot (0.9144 m) long. The box was built, paid for, and designed by the Tebbutts family, owners of a funeral home in Albany since 1850. It consisted of a video tape of Mayor Thomas Whalen III and the chairman of the Tricentennial Committee, a book written by two 8th grade students about their daily life at Philip Livingston Middle School, a model of the Empire State PlazaEmpire State Plaza
The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York....
constructed by students at Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, along with various objects suggested by a write-in competition. Among the selected from the competition for inclusion was a pamphlet of the First Church in Albany, William Kennedy
William Kennedy (author)
William Joseph Kennedy is an American writer and journalist born and raised in Albany, New York. Many of his novels feature the interaction of members of the fictional Irish-American Phelan family, and make use of incidents of Albany's history and the supernatural...
's novel O' Albany, and master development plans for the city to be compared to the realities on the ground at the opening of the capsule in 100 years.
Monuments
The first monument to be placed in Tricentennial Park was the 6 foot, 4 inch (1.9 m) bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
replica of the official Albany city seal
Coat of arms of Albany, New York
The coat of arms of Albany, New York, is the heraldic symbol representing the city of Albany, the capital of the U.S. state of New York. The coat of arms is rarely seen by itself; it is almost always used in the city seal or on the city flag...
. The sculpture was designed and created by Hy Rosen, a cartoonist for the Albany Times Union, a regional daily newspaper. The statue, which is more detailed than the actual seal and diverges from the actual city seal in many aspects, such as replacing the generic sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
on the 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...
to the more specific Half Moon 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...
fame, the generic tree became a birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, and the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
's bow does not have a string.
In 2005 a bronze statue of Albany's 73rd mayor Thomas Whalen III (served 1983-93) and his golden retriever
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
named Finn McCool was installed in the park. The statue is seated on a park bench with his right hand on top of the dog's head. Mayor Whalen is the only mayor of Albany to have a statue erected in his honor in the city. A statue for Mayor Corning was proposed and commissioned though it was never cast, a clay model of which sat in Mayor Whalen's office for many years. The statues of Mayor Whalen and his dog are life-size, and including the bench the monument is 16 feet (4.9 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, it was designed by Hy Rosen.
A metal sculpture in the shape of a globe with representations of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(US) and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
displayed on it, was dedicated in the park in 2011. Each country has a large star marking the spot of Albany in the US and of Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
in Russia, with a bridge linking the two. Designed by Steve Kroeger, the sculpture entitled Albany–Tula, Russia, commemorates the 20 year anniversary of the two as sister cities.
Activities
Tricentennial Park hosts several special events, such as in 2006 the Knight in the Park chessChess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
tournament sponsored by the Eastern New York Chess Association. The Downtown Albany Business Improvement District
Business improvement district
A business improvement district is a defined area within which businesses pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. Grant funds acquired by the city for special programs and/or incentives such as tax abatements can be made available to assist...
(BID) hosts a Garden Party fundraiser in the park in connection with the annual Sculpture in the Streets event. The city puts on the annual September in the City Art Fair with art, crafts, and live music.