Emery Park Explained

Emery Park
Map:New York
Coords:42.7144°N -78.5953°W
Type:Regional park
Location:2084 Emery Road
South Wales, New York[1]
Nearest City:Buffalo, New York
Area:490acres[2]
Operator:Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry
Open:All year
Website:Emery Park

Emery Park is a 490acres park in Erie County, in the U.S. state of New York.[2] The park is located in the hamlet of South Wales, southeast of the city of Buffalo. It is operated by the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry. Access is free and it is open to the public year-round.[1]

History

Emery Park was among the four original parks acquired by Erie County in the 1920s. Several of the park's structures were part of a farmstead established by Josiah Emery in the early 1800s. In 1925, 175acres of land was purchased by Erie County from the Emery family to form Emery Park. The park's facilities and landscapes were improved substantially by the Works Progress Administration throughout the 1930s, and the park grew to 490acres through land acquisitions in the years that followed.[1] [2]

Despite improvements and repairs in recent years, Emery Park was described by Erie County officials as being in the worst shape of all of the county's parks as of 2013, when plans for additional repairs were announced.[3] The planned demolition of the Emery Inn was reported in late 2013 due to safety concerns caused by the building's advanced state of deterioration. The structure was part of the original Emery farmstead, and had previously served as a museum and restaurant within the park before sitting vacant for many years.[4]

Attractions and facilities

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Emery Park . Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry (Erie.gov) . March 6, 2015.
  2. Book: Erie County (N.Y.) Department of Parks, Recreation, & Forestry. Erie County (N.Y.) Department of Environment & Planning. Parsons. Envision: The Hough Group . Paradigm Consulting . Wendel-Duchscherer Architects & Engineers . Erie County Parks System Master Plan, Volume 2, Section 2, Subsection 2.5 - Emery Park . 2003. Erie County . 1–9 . March 6, 2015.
  3. Web site: Extensive improvements continue in Erie County parks . Orchard Park Bee . October 3, 2013 . Jennifer Waters . March 6, 2015.
  4. Web site: County Approves Demolition of Historic Emery Inn . East Aurora Advertiser . December 23, 2013 . Adam Zaremski . March 6, 2015.
  5. Book: Minetor. Randi. Minetor. Nic. Hiking Waterfalls in New York: A Guide to the State's Best Waterfall Hikes. 2014. Falcon Guides. Guildford, Conn.. 978-0762787500. 6–8. March 6, 2015.
  6. Book: Freeman. Rich. Freeman. Sue. Winter Trails: Cross-country Ski and Snowshoe in Central and Western New York. 2001. Footprint Press. Fishers, NY. 0965697452. 41. March 6, 2015.