Two little Penfield parks
Heritage Park and Schaufelberger Park are easily two of Penfield's smallest parks. They're located steps from each other at Penfield's four corners (Rt. 441 and Five Mile Line Road), and taken together they almost give some village flavor to a town that doesn't have a village.
Schaufelberger Park
If you've ever driven through that Penfield Rd./Five Mile Line intersection, you have passed by -- and maybe even noticed -- Schaufelberger Park. This is a true pocket park, a small green space right on the busy intersection's northwest corner. Its most distinguishing feature is the clock tower, which is actually in working order. But should you pause long enough to sit in one of the park's several benches, you'll also see a statue of Daniel Penfield, beside an informational plaque explaining how he came to found the town.
As a matter of interest, according to a reference I found online, in the early 1900s this corner was once occupied by a car dealership owned by Ernest and Ameal Schaufelberger. It was razed in 1992, and the park was named in their honor when created a year later.
Heritage Park
Heritage Park is very close to Schaufelberger, basically just across Five Mile Line Road. Unless you know it's there, however, you won't see it. It's well off the road, tucked behind the fire station and the First Baptist Church of Penfield. Access is off of Five Mile Line Road, through the public parking lot just north of the four corners intersection.
As I said before, this is a small park, and aside from a large gazebo, doesn't really have a lot to offer. There is a bricked off patio area which could use some TLC, as could the gazebo. My theory is that at one time, before the town built their beautiful amphitheater at Veterans' Park, this facility might have been used for community events. But that time is long past. Its proximity to the high school and four corners probably makes it a convenient place in which to enjoy a brown-bag lunch, but otherwise I suspect this park gets very little use these days.
