I have been blessed to enjoy every major public park in Troy. Each is special. I learned to swim at Knick; my son at the South End Pool. I climbed the monkey bars in Beman. My wedding reception was in the pavilion at Prospect park. I've spent more than a few bucks at Powers Park Flea Markets. I played baseball at Frear Park and have even golfed a couple of rounds. The history each park carries forward requires her owners – the real citizens of Troy – to tend to their needs attentively. It requires the highest level of stewardship. Groups like the Friends of Prospect Park and Frear Park Conservancy have been showing us the way for many years.
These green spaces and historic structures tell the recreational story of Troy. The 1920’s era Art Deco swimming pool at Prospect is a prominent example of craftsmanship and design from the Roaring ‘20’s. Closed in the mid-1990’s as a cost savings measure, that pool is one of only a few that remained in the US still standing. It’s use as a pool is long past yet the structure could be re-purposed perhaps for skateboarders. What a great way to get the newest generation using, enjoying and appreciating Prospect. The locker area could be rehabbed and that wonderful structure could be put back to good use.
The Arcadia Pavilion’s splendor and beauty are being wasted at Frear Park. It was built as a community-gathering place. City of Troy’s Parks and Recreation Department currently uses the space as a storage facility. The golf course lost its clubhouse years ago when the city chose to lease out that space to a private entity. It has since lost its pro shop too. How grand it would be if the pavilion were to be re-purposed as the course’s 19th Hole and Pro Shop.
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