James Baird State Park
State park in Dutchess County, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Baird State Park is a 590-acre (2.4 km2) state park in Dutchess County, New York, United States.[2] The park is located in the northern part of the Town of LaGrange, east of City of Poughkeepsie.
Pleasant Valley, New York[1]
| James Baird State Park | |
|---|---|
 The golf course and clubhouse at James Baird State Park | |
  Location within New York | |
| Type | State park |
| Location | 14 Maintenance Lane Pleasant Valley, New York[1] |
| Coordinates | 41°41′09″N 73°47′51″W |
| Area | 590 acres (2.4 km2)[2] |
| Created | 1939[1] |
| Operator | New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
| Visitors | 103,618 (in 2014)[3] |
| Open | All year |
| Website | James Baird State Park |
History
The park is named after James Baird (engineer and president of the George A. Fuller Company, a construction company), the donor of the land. Baird, who held a Ph.D. in engineering, formed the construction company that erected the Lincoln Memorial and the Folger Shakespeare Library. He donated his land to the state in 1939 for a park.[1]
The park formerly included a large community swimming pool, which was filled in by park management in the 1980s. Today,[when?] the bathhouse serves as a restroom and concession building has been demolished. The former pool area is bounded by rows of large elm trees.
Description
James Baird State Park offers picnic tables with pavilions, a playground, recreation programs, hiking and biking, a nature trail, cross-country skiing, and a food concession. A sports complex that offers pickleball, softball, volleyball, basketball, and tennis is also included in the park, in addition to the 18-hole James Baird State Park Golf Course.[1][4]
