Edmund Lyon Park, East Rochester

There’s a lot of activity, and a lot of history packed into this large open area in the middle of the village of East Rochester. There’s a big playground, a spray pool, basketball court, ball field and a gazebo.

On this wintry day that I visited, none of these amenities was being used, of course. No matter, because I was most interested in the historical and … well, monumental … features of the park.

According to a historical marker placed near the entrance, Edmund Lyon Park was established in 1916 on land donated by one Kate Gleason. It was named after “a local financier,” Edmund Lyon, who, according to RocWiki, “was an inventor, humanitarian, philanthropist, and manufacturer,” and “a volunteer teacher at the Western New York Institute for Deaf-Mutes (later renamed the Rochester School for the Deaf).” A road on the RIT Campus, Edmund Lyon Crescent, is also named in his honor.

Edmund Lyon Park is home to the town’s “Station of Heroes,” monuments to those who served in our nation’s wars. There’s also a 9/11 memorial and a fountain.

So there’s lots to look at, and lots of history to absorb if you’re so inclined. But for most East Rochester residents, Edmund Lyon Park is probably their go-to playground, picnic spot and pick-up softball field. Like everything in East Rochester, it’s just a short walk from anywhere, and a terrific village resource.