Nestled below a steeply sloped bluff, this 2.7-acre park is defined by the Hudson River to the west, the Fall Kill creek to the south and North Water Street to the east. The relatively level park affords expansive views of the river, the varied landscape on the opposite shore, and the two bridges that span the waterway, including the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, situated approximately 300 feet to the north.
In 1699 Dutch settlers established a mill along the Fall Kill and by 1757 a dock was constructed at the mouth of the creek. The dock served as the community’s northernmost river landing, helping to shape the city as a commercial and industrial powerhouse during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the early twentieth century the site was purchased by the Central Hudson Gas & Electric Company. The Dyson Foundation acquired the site in 2010, intending to utilize it as a link between the waterfront and the Walkway Over the Hudson. Tinkleman Architecture and landscape architect Eileen Travis were engaged to transform the site into a public park.
Opened in 2013, the park is connected to the elevated walkway via an elevator. From the eastern entrance at North Water Street, marked by brick and stone columns, a gate opens to a wide, brick-paved path leading west toward a plaza and the river. Two historic structures, shaded by spruce trees, are located north of the path at the base of the bluff, while the southern edge features a lawn dotted with conifer trees. A curvilinear sidewalk follows the Fall Kill and meets a pedestrian bridge, which provides park access from the south. Trees, including maple and pine, are spread throughout the site, planted along the edges of the creek, river, and plaza.
