Do you know why there’s a replica of the Statue of Liberty on the Memorial Parkway? Or why pet lovers who lived in Utica during the early 20th-Century especially adored the Swan Fountain? And how did that huge boulder become the pedestal for the Spanish-American War monument?
To find out answers to these questions and more, Join the CNY Conservancy and the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica for a walking tour of the Memorial Parkway on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Come and see the newly restored Statue of Liberty and Swan Fountain. Take photos of the mum plantings at each site visited. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow park-lovers and Utica history aficionados.
The half-mile tour begins at 1 p.m. The group will assemble at 1641 Genesee Street, the CNY Conservancy office. Limited parking is available and carpooling is strongly encouraged.
The tour will occur rain or shine and the event is free (donations are gratefully accepted). A raffle will be conducted among all tour-goers and 3 winners will receive one of the following prizes: a 6-ft. Colorado Blue Spruce (including delivery and planting); four hours of fall cleanup; a large, potted mum.
Hamilton College Prof. Emeritus and former President of the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica Rand Carter and local architect Mike Lehman will come along for the tour. Carter and Lehman will offer stories and anecdotes about the monuments. Carter has written about the Parkway monuments and is an expert on historic preservation, European art of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, neoclassicism, history of furniture, environmental and ecological implications of architectural design, urban planning, and landscape. Lehman is a knowledgeable resource about Olmsted’s plans for Parkway development, city planning, and the development of the Olmsted Bros. firm.
This event offers an outstanding opportunity to learn about the Parkway, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the monuments, and the Conservancy.
