Stewart Park is a municipal park operated by the city of Ithaca, New York on the southern end of Cayuga Lake, the largest of New York's Finger Lakes.Park descriptionThe park offers space and facilities for outdoor recreation such as frisbee, tennis, baseball, softball, and fishing. The park has a carousel that operates throughout the summer. In addition, there is a playground with slides and a fountain, along with sheltered areas for picnics and large gatherings. The park is also equipped with grills dispersed around the grounds for barbecuing.Fall Creek empties into Cayuga Lake through Stewart Park. Stewart Park is also the location of the Cascadilla Boat Club's boathouse. The Fuertes Bird Sanctuary sits at the southern end of the park, and it is bordered on the west by the City of Ithaca's municipal golf course.HistoryStewart Park was originally part of Military Lot 88, a 600acre tract of land granted to Andrew Moody after the end of the Revolutionary War. Moody sold the land to James Renwick on December 12, 1790. It remained in his family for 104 years as an undeveloped parcel of land.In the early 1890s, 40acres of Renwick land was purchased by the Cascadilla School to build athletic facilities. At the same time, a trolley line leading to Cayuga Lake was constructed by the Cayuga Lake Electric Railway Company, who also set about developing an amusement park near the lake. The group of properties became known as Renwick Park, and opened to the public in 1894.Upon opening, the park contained a zoo, a merry-go-round and a renovated dance pavilion for use as Ithaca's first vaudeville theater. However, in 1908, a decrease in the public's use of the railway system led to the dissolution of the Cayuga Lake Electric Railway Company; the company was replaced by the Renwick Park and Traffic Association. Trolley access to the park was completely discontinued in 1915. While this occurred, 55acres adjacent to the park were set aside as a bird sanctuary, maintained by the Cayuga Bird Club. Now known as the Fuertes Bird Sanctuary, it was named after a former club president upon his death in 1927.
