14. Downing Park
Downing Park is the largest park in Newburgh, a city about 60 miles north of New York City. The park was named after Andrew Jackson Downing, Olmsted’s mentor and Newburgh native who died in a steamboat accident on the Hudson River in 1852. The City of Newburgh gave the design commission to Olmsted and Vaux, who delivered the plans in 1889.
Downing Park was the last collaboration between Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, a 35-acre park designed to be a quiet and relaxing environment amid the city. Construction on the park started in 1894, and it opened in 1897. The park’s observatory was designed by Calvert’s son Downing Vaux and was located at the highest point of the park, offering views of the Hudson River. There was a farmhouse on the property that was converted into a smallpox sanatorium.
Next, check out 10 Historic Ruins and Remnants Inside NYC’s Central Park!