Stewart Park

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Stewart Park is in Ithaca, New York. Ithaca is located on the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, the largest Finger Lake, and Stewart sits directly on that tip. The park is a popular place for barbecues, frisbee, tennis, baseball, and softball, as well as fishing and swimming on the lake. The park has a carousel that operates throughout the summer. In addition, there is a playground, with slides, and a fountain, along with sheltered areas for picnics and large gatherings. The park is also equipped with grills dispersed around the grounds.

The park is also notable for hosting the final day of the Ithaca Festival,^[1] during which the park is notoriously difficult to get into, due to parking overflowing.

Stewart Park was originally part of the estate of James Renwick, and its first name was Renwick Park, where it operated as a private swimming and amusement park. After the turn of the century it became unprofitable, and finally shut down in 1915. The land was leased to The Whartons film studio during Ithaca's brief heyday as a silent film production center, from 1915 to 1919.

Mayor Edwin C. Stewart during his inauguration speech in 1920 declared that it was a "travesty" that Ithacans couldn't enjoy the lake without trespassing on private property. By 1921 he made good on his promise, and the city had purchased the former Renwick Park land and opened it to the public. Mayor Stewart died before the official opening of the park on July 4, and it was renamed in his honor. In 1934, the park land was raised by several feet to reduce flooding.

Fall Creek empties into Cayuga Lake through Stewart Park. Stewart Park is also the location of the Cascadilla Boat Club's boathouse. The Fuertes Bird Sanctuary sits at the southern end of the park, and it is bordered on the west by the City of Ithaca's municipal golf course.

In 2011, the Friends of Stewart Park^[2] began a wide-ranging rehabilitation and restoration project for Stewart Park.^[3] This effort began with the renovation of the Mayor Stewart Memorial Flagpole garden,^[4] and future efforts are underway.

References

Cayuga Waterfront Trail, Flight Film and Public Works. Available online

v t e Ithaca, New York

Areas and Parks	Allan H. Treman State Marine Park Buttermilk Falls State Park Cornell Plantations Ithaca Commons Stewart Park Robert H. Treman State Park Taughannock Falls State Park Trails

Education	Cornell University Ithaca College Tompkins Cortland Community College Cascadilla School Ithaca City School District Ithaca High School Lehman Alternative Community School

Transportation	Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport NY 13 NY 13A NY 34 NY 79 NY 89 NY 96 NY 96B NY 366 Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit

Businesses and Institutions	Booksale Clinton House Ithaca Gun Company Ithaca Hours Moosewood Restaurant Museum of the Earth Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies Sciencenter Ithaca Discovery Trail The Ithaca Journal Tompkins Trust Company

People	List of people from Ithaca, New York Cornellians List of Ithaca College people

Coordinates: 42°27′40″N 76°30′13″W / 42.46111°N 76.50361°W / 42.46111; -76.50361

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