Soundview Park
155.5 acres
In the 1830s the Ludlow family owned considerable property
on Clason Point, including much of the site that would become Soundview
Park. Ludlow's Black Rock Farm included Barrett's Creek, named for
Samuel Barrett, an original settler of Clason Point. The farm was
named for a large boulder found in a salt marsh near the junction
of Ludlow's Creek and the Bronx River. The black rock is formed of
gneissBa coarse-grained, imperfectly layered metamorphic rock, characterized
by alternating dark and light bands. It is from the Hartland formation
and dates back hundreds of millions of years, when an unknown land
mass collided with North America and buried sedimentary rocks and
volcanics on the edge of the continent. Several miles below the earth's
surface, at temperatures over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, the sedimentary
rock and volcanics were forged into gneiss. The massive boulder may have been a glacial erratic
transported to the South Bronx by a glacier about 10,000 years ago.
Mistaken for a meteorite by early settlers, the boulder was moved
to Soundview Park, where it can be seen today. When the City of New
York acquired the original 93 acres of land for a new park in 1937,
the entire area was composed of marshland. The creeks and terrain
along the left bank of the Bronx River, made the parkland unusable.
Local lore asserts that New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses
named the site Lafayette Park. Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) was a major general
in the Continental army during the American Revolution. In 1789 he
returned to France where he served as a commander of the militia in
the French Revolution and was a liberal member within the National
Assembly. Lafayette made various trips to New York City, from 1784
through 1825. Each time he was honored with banquets, parades performances,
and an artillery salute. After some contention, Commissioner Moses
yielded to local residents who wanted the park name to express a reference
to the neighborhood. "Soundview" was inspired by historical maps of
the East River, which was once known as Long Island Sound. On the
northwest side of the park, Soundview Avenue was part of the colonial
road leading to Clason Point. In 1940 the City acquired by condemnation an additional
63 acres adjacent to the park. Subsequent additions in 1953 and 1967
expanded the park's area. In 1994 the sewer systems, and control vaults
were renovated and dams were installed. The playground was improved
in 1997, and the sidewalks and pavements were repaired in 1998. Called
the "Gateway to the Bronx River," Soundview Park is situated where
the Bronx River opens into the East River. The Bronx River changes
from a saltwater river to the only freshwater river in New York City
at Westfarms, just a few miles north of Soundview. With its extensive
views of the water, Soundview Park celebrates the beauty of both the
Bronx and East Rivers.
Thursday, Sep 09, 1999