While many people know that New York City’s Central Park was designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, they might not be aware that the duo also oversaw the design of a local park in the Hudson Valley.
Bordered by Dubois Street and Robinson Avenue (Route 9W) on its east and west sides and South and Third streets on its north and south, Downing Park sits in the center of the City of Newburgh.
During the late 1880s Newburgh Mayor Benjamin O’Dell, wanting to enhance the community’s amenities, spearheaded a plan to create a recreation area in the city. He purchased the 25-acre Smith farm, which included a 1750s farmhouse; 10 additional acres were acquired soon after.