A few years ago, people passing through the main intersection of Pine Plains could be forgiven for looking right past the southeast corner of Church and Main streets. The space, once home to some of the town’s most notable buildings, had become little more than a bleak empty lot.
There were only a few trees, a couple of old benches, and a worn-out gazebo. A buckled concrete sidewalk cut a harsh diagonal through the space and turned into an icy hazard during winter months. There was a large evergreen tree that was an important part of the annual winter holiday parade, but had gotten far too big for the space.
But all that began to change four years ago, thanks to an unusual gift by Edward C. Kinzer Jr.
Since the 1930s, Kinzer had owned a summer house at the corner of Lake Road and Old Orchard Lane, a short walk from Stissing Lake. For years, the home served as the Kinzers’ special gathering place, where family members young and old came to enjoy fishing and other outdoor activities.
Kinzer’s nephew, Doug Kampfer, said his uncle loved Pine Plains and wanted to thank the town for what it had given him and his family. At his passing in 2019, officials learned that Kinzer had bequeathed $27,225 to the town – a generous sum that allowed residents to transform the neglected corner lot into a cozy, inviting public park. Pine Plains recently returned the thanks, installing a plaque in Kinzer’s honor at the park he helped create.
The corner plot already had a rich role in town history. According to Dyan Wapnick and the website of the Little Nine Partners Historical Society, people have found ways to enjoy the site as far back as 1798, when a log tavern was built.
In the 19th century, father and son Ebenezer and Fyler Dibblee built a two-story hotel for guests attending horse races that were then popular in the town. Charles Ketterer, a German immigrant and Civil War veteran, later expanded the hotel, adding amenities like an oyster saloon, a billiards room and a barber shop.
After a brief spell from 1917-21 as a temperance house promoting alcohol-free existence, the building was purchased by Mark Piester, a carpenter, who added an ice cream parlor and garage. Piester owned the building for the next 45 years. Following his death in 1966, the building sat vacant until 1973, when a fire broke out. The town and the building’s then-owner, Sol Aronowitz, agreed to tear it down. It’s local lore that the ruins of the hotel still remain underground.
From that point forward, the fortunes of the empty corner lot waxed and waned. In 2019, learning of Kinzer’s gift to Pine Plains, then-Supervisor Darrah Cloud and Town Board member Sarah Jones came up with the idea of using the money to spruce up the park. The full board agreed, and established a Town Park Beautification Committee. Chaired by Vikki Soracco, the committee – Carl Baden, Thayer Durell, Jane Kelly, Ann Noone and Suzanne Ouellette – set to work clearing the land in preparation for landscaping.
Carl Baden quickly dismantled the dilapidated gazebo, after no success at finding someone who wanted it. The sidewalks and rebar were removed and hauled away by Art Jones and George Lefchek.
The worn-out benches were put in storage, and the land was leveled and graded by David Hotaling. Jack Banning shared access to his property’s water lines until Mike George Plumbing installed the park’s own water line and spigot. Electrical work was done by Kyle Lougheed and Ginocchio Electric in preparation for the fountain that was to serve as the park’s centerpiece. Throughout the work, Durell served as the team’s conductor, keeping all the work organized and on track.
With the infrastructure in place, thoughts turned to the question of how the park should look. The Beautification Committee solicited proposals and bids for the park design and construction. From three proposals, the committee gave the job to Sue Robertson’s Down to Earth Landscaping.
Robertson added a flowering cherry tree to join the two already there, a new slow-growing holiday evergreen, perennial beds, shrub plantings, new grass, new stone walls, and a lovely curving stone walkway that takes one safely and gently through the landscape. The path is no longer just a shortcut between Main and Church streets.
A key turning point in the park’s development was the offer from Tim Jones, a local designer and metal artisan, to volunteer his time and talent to build a fountain. The end result is a peaceful, modern tribute to the dairy-farming legacy of Pine Plains, cleverly constructed from elements salvaged from farms.
The bowls from which the water flows are old and well-used cow-watering bowls; color-coded numeric cow tags now serve as a playful decoration. The fountain’s basin and central piece are made of corten steel, a material designed to be strong and rust beautifully into the future. After Jones built the heavy piece, the committee faced the challenge of moving it from his studio and installing it in the park. Once again, a member of the community stepped forward, with Ted Tenore providing the heavy equipment needed.
Yet another important gift to the park came from Matt Brimer and his family, who donated the pergola that today makes for an attractive gathering point. Robertson’s addition of vines ensures that the space is well-shaded in the summer months. With the committee’s purchase of new garden furniture and vintage garden pieces donated by Durell and Larry Patricola, all the major components of the park were in place by the late fall of 2021.
Thanks to Edward Kinzer’s gift – and the contributions of many people in the community – local residents today can take leisurely strolls, sit and talk, and take in the fountain’s look and sound.
Many Pine Plains residents gather there to enjoy the wintertime Parade of Lights decorations and watch the Memorial Day parade. And the park continues to improve, most recently with a pair of large antique wagon wheels, donated to the park by Jimmy Boyle, and installed by Durell and Mike Kemp. Durell still spends most mornings looking over the gardens, doing a little weeding and making sure the watering system is working as it should.
“It’s a nice place to have lunch and enjoy being outside,” said Beth Coon, the assistant vice president of the Bank of Millbrook, who has an ideal view of the park from her office window. Justin Nash, the owner of the Barber Shoppe & Shaving Parlor, which sits directly next to the park, describes it as “a lovely addition” and “gorgeous.”
Sarah Jones, one of the Town Board members who helped get the park project underway, expresses praise as well. “All spring and summer as I drove or walked by our park, I have marveled at how beautiful it has looked with different flowers in bloom nearby every week,” she says. “What a great job our new Park Committee did. And what an excellent use for our unexpected gift.”