Manor Park, Larchmont facts for kids

Manor Park is a beautiful park in Larchmont, a village in New York State. It covers about 13 acres (which is roughly the size of 10 football fields!) and has a long shoreline of over 5,000 feet along the Long Island Sound and Larchmont Harbor. People love Manor Park for its unique striped rocks, pretty gazebos, amazing views, and nice walking paths.

A Look Back in Time: Manor Park's History

Manor Park has a long and interesting history. It goes all the way back to 1614! That's when a Dutch ship captain saw campfires in this area. These fires belonged to the Siwanoy Indians, who lived there long ago.

Early Land Owners

About 100 years later, settlers from Britain and the Netherlands started buying land in the area. In 1661, a rich trader named John Richbell bought three pieces of land from two Native American Chiefs, Wappaquewam and Manhattan. The middle piece of land included what is now Larchmont and Manor Park.

Later, in 1701, Samuel Palmer bought this "middle neck" of land. He and his family lived there until 1790. Then, most of the land was bought by Peter Jay Munro. He was the nephew of John Jay, who was one of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States. John Jay was also the very first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. A Chief Justice is the main judge of the highest court in the country.

Creating Larchmont Manor Park

After Peter Jay Munro, a person named Thomas J.S. Flint bought the land that included Manor Park and much of Larchmont Village. He started a company called the Larchmont Manor Company. His plan was to turn the area into a nice suburban community.

In the 1870s, Mr. Flint set aside about 6 acres of land right by the water. He named it Larchmont Manor Park. This special area became the heart of the park we see today.

Protecting the Park

To make sure the park stayed beautiful, the Larchmont Manor Park Society was created in 1892. This group works to "maintain, preserve, and protect the park." They also look after nearby Fountain Square, four small traffic islands, and Manor Beach.

The Society has done a lot of work to keep the park nice. In 2003, they raised $1 million for big improvements. They fixed the seawall, repaired paths, added new plants, and replaced an old fence. They also rebuilt the west gazebo, which is a small, open building often found in parks. In May 2004, they even held an art show called "Manor Park—In All Seasons."

Visiting Manor Park

Even though Manor Park is privately owned, it is open for everyone to enjoy! You can visit the park from when the sun comes up until it goes down.

In 2012, a very strong storm called Hurricane Sandy hit the area. The storm caused a lot of damage to the seawall, and some parts of the park's land were washed away into the water. But the park has been repaired and continues to be a wonderful place for people to visit and relax.