Beekman Park

Infobox park
park=Beekman Park
type=Local park
location=Amenia (CDP), New York
coordinates=coord|41.845|-73.562|display=inline,title
size_acre=47.7
opened=1983
operator=Amenia Department of Public Works
visitors=
status=Open all year

Beekman Park is a small local park in the census-designated place of Amenia, part of Dutchess County, New York. It is the former site of Lake Amenia, a freshwater lake that was eroded to nothing during one of the costliest hurricanes of the 1950s, Hurricane Diane. 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.

In the park

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.

Doc Bartlett Field

William "Doc" Bartlett was a teenager when he started playing baseball in the early 20th century for Amenia, where he followed in his father's footsteps for many years. Bartlett was born in 1908 in Amenia and grew up there. He stayed in Amenia as an adult, working there as well. However, as a teenager, he played baseball for the town, as a first baseman, even after he graduated in 1926.cite web|author=Arlene Iuliano|url=http://ameniany.gov/Orgs/AHS/Bartlett.htm|title=William E. Bartlett, Jr. (“Doc”) - The Early Years|publisher=Amenia Historical Society|accessdate=2008-06-21]

The baseball team from Amenia during the 1920s and 1930s was part of Dutchess County's Harlem Valley League. He continued to play for the team and was co-manager of the team as well. He was nicknamed from Junior Bartlett to Doc Bartlett because of his avid love for the game of baseball. He showed up at every game in Amenia in the later years of his life. In 1985, Doc Bartlett was given a field named after him in Beekman Park after devoting 60 years to the town and its baseball.

Downey Field

Tom Downey is a current member of the Tri-State Board of Directors for baseball and is coach of baseball in Amenia. He starting playing for the Amenia Little League in 1957, continuing his career into two higher leagues, playing for Webutuck High School, and the highest in the town, the Amenia Monarchs team. He coached several teams for many years, and is a part of the Dutchess County Baseball Hall of Fame. He was part of the building of Beekman Park's baseball facilities, which meant a lot to him.cite web|url=http://ameniany.gov/Orgs/AHS/Tom%20Downey.doc|title=Tom Downey III – 50 Years of Baseball|publisher=Amenia Historical Society|accessdate=2008-06-21]

He helped raise money for the building of the park, and was on the volunteer committee that also designed and create the park. He was also the chairman of Parks in Amenia and kept care of all game schedules and Bartlett Field with his uncle. Lights were added to the park in 1990. One of the fields was then later named after him, for his 50 years in baseball.

Herring Field

Herring field is named in honor of Don Herring and his son Jimmy Herring. Don Herring and friend Joe McEnroe regularly played baseball during their time at Amenia High School. Herring grew up in Wassaic, worked at a minor job and joined the Air Force before marrying in 1960. After coaching a farm club leaque, he began to coach for the Amenia Babe Ruth team.cite web|author=Ann Linden|title=Don and Jimmy Herring: Amenia honored Father and Son|year=2007|publisher=Amenia Historical Society|accessdate=2008-06-21|url=http://ameniany.gov/Orgs/AHS/Herring.htm] Herring worked with a recreation committee that sparked the notion of building a park in the town to allow for young people to participate in sports. Don's son Jimmy died in 1973 after a battle with cancer, and the park was dedicated in their names on July 28 of a later year.

History

Before the park existed, the park was the site of Lake Amenia, formed in the 1920s by a freshwater dam 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.cite web|url=http://www.ameniany.gov/parks.asp|title=Amenia Parks|publisher=Amenia, New York|accessdate=2008-06-17]

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.

Accessibility

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.

References

Further reading

*cite book | last = Reed| first = Newton | title = Early History of Amenia | publisher = publisher unknown | year = 1875 [http://www.esf.edu/efb/limburg/Hudson/Swaney_et_al_HRV_History.pdf Extracts available]