Copley Pond Restored To Glory

On a blustery afternoon on Saturday, Oct. 18, residents of Munsey Park gathered at Copley Pond along with local dignitaries, village, state, county and town officials, to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of a project started and promoted by Erin Cunningham and the Munsey Park Women’s Club to revitalize the pond. The welcoming ceremony began with the national anthem and the American flag-raising ceremony. A DJ entertained the crowd of children as neighbors enjoyed a complimentary barbeque.
Cunningham spearheaded the effort and gathered the support of village, county officials who worked together with Munsey Park Women’s Club to secure more than $80,000 in grants for the work.
The area was originally bequeathed by Frank Andrew Munsey (August 21,1854–December 22,1925), an American newspaper and magazine publisher, author and developer, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1925. Under the leadership of Museum President Robert DeForest, the Metropolitan Museum developed part of the land into a planned residential community featuring Colonial-style houses and streets named after American artists.
A permanent display of his highly prized collection of armor in is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
The renovation which began in 2013, required the removal of debris, overgrown trees and crumbling pathways and revitalization of the manmade pond. The newly renovated park now features a beautifully paved walkway set back from the water, along with several benches honoring families who donated to the restoration, a stately flag pole Though the renovation is not entirely complete, Copley Park is now open to all to enjoy.