Picturesque Ruins: Downing Park
Joseph LaMonica
Looking out at the City of Newburgh from the pergola in Downing Park, one can’t help but think of the past. With 62% of the city’s structures built prior to 1940, nearly 700 vacant buildings (McEnaney, et al. 2018), and remnants of 20th Century urban renewal still evident, Newburgh looks tired juxtaposed against the scenic backdrop of the Hudson River. Despite Downing Park’s popularity and the valiant efforts of the park planning committee to maintain and restore the space, many of the park elements are currently in a state of decay. The classical pergola built on the Eastern hillside is crumbling. The flowering vines that once grew up its columns and the Arabesque flower beds that adorned the hillside around it have been replaced with syringes and litter. Many of the mature trees are nearing the end of their life cycle.
Postcard of Downing Park by The Ruben Publishing Company
View of the Hudson River from the Pergola. Joseph LaMonica. All photos taken by the author unless otherwise indicated.
In his book, The Necessity for Ruins, J.B. Jackson consoles us and reminds us that the state of decay can be a catalyst for renewal and reform (Jackson 1980). But as Lynch urges in What Time is This Place, “What is saved must be based on what users wish to remember or can connect with themselves.” (Lynch 1980) This paper will seek to analyze the ideas behind the design and elements of Downing Park and briefly speculate whether these ideas still resonate with the city of Newburgh in the 21st century.