This 172-acre park is centrally located in the county and a perfect spot for group picnics. Acquired in 1926, the park was originally called Woodlands Park, but was renamed for V. Everitt Macy, the first Commissioner of Public Welfare. In fact, he was the first Westchester County Commissioner of any kind.
A scion of the wealthy Macy family, he first ran successfully on the Democratic ticket for Superintendent of the Poor for Westchester in 1914. Influenced by the infamous Republican William Boss Ward, Macy was re-elected on the Republican slate in 1920 and 1923. His title was then changed to Commissioner of Public Welfare, the first such post in New York State. He later served as chairman of the County Parks Commission.
V.E. Macy park is divided into three distinct areas. One section features ballfields, a playground, comfort stations and picnic pavilion. The Woodlands Lake section is an excellent spot for fishing and ice skating, provides access to the South County Trailway.
A section of the park has been renamed Great Hunger Memorial Park, which is home to a sculpture dedicated to the Irish people who fled their country to Westchester in the 1840s to escape poverty and famine.
Own or work here?