Some Needed Attention for Saint Joseph's Park

This article was scraped from Rochester Subway. This is a blog about Rochester history and urbanism has not been published since 2017. The current owners are now publishing link spam which made me want to preserve this history.. The original article was published December 11, 2012 and can be found here.

   Ted Collins Tree & Landscape is proud to announce that it will be working with the Landmark Society of Western New York in the re-landscaping and re-opening of St. Joseph's Park - a downtown park that has been closed for over ten years. Greg Frank, co-owner of the oldest landscaping firm in the Rochester area, became aware of this special site through a conversation with colleagues who shared their desire to see the park re-open. After visiting the area around the site, he realized that redevelopment was beginning to take place and so approached the Landmark Society about donating his company's services - along with plant and landscape materials - to bring the park back as a special place for gathering and contemplation.

   Although once a beautiful oasis in downtown, St. Joseph's Park has suffered from inattention and misuse. "The park has been locked up and unused for quite some time", said Wayne Goodman, Executive Director of the Landmark Society, "and we are thrilled by the generosity of Ted Collins Tree & Landscape for choosing this landmark as its gift to us, and more importantly to the community. It is such a wonderful announcement to make, especially during this special holiday season."

"Like so many old church ruins scattered around much of Europe they not only reflect the past but are also aesthetically pleasing monuments that make a city rich and special," said Greg Frank. "Our firm has been looking for a special project that would allow us to do what we do best - landscape and create special garden spaces for people to enjoy. St. Joseph's seemed like an ideal project that not only allows us to be part of the re-development of downtown Rochester, but also to give back to our community.

   With redevelopment of the downtown area and the beauty of the structure, it seems like a perfect opportunity to clean it up and re-landscape the site and make it available again to the public for intimate musical concerts, weddings, small presentations and other social gatherings.

Plans are underway and Ted Collins Tree & Landscape will lay out its vision for the planting of the park while the Landmark Society handles some improvements to the edifice and infrastructure. Re-dedication of the park and its reopening for the public is planned for early June - just in time for the outdoor event and wedding seasons as well as for the lively musical scene that takes place during the summer.

   St. Joseph's Park is located inside the remains of what was the city's oldest Catholic church, destroyed in 1975 by a disastrous fire. The church was built in 1843 by German immigrants and became the mother church of nine other German parishes in western New York. The bell tower was constructed in 1909. St. Joseph's Park was created by determined citizens and institutions who felt that the distinctive tower was an irreplaceable feature of the Rochester landscape. With its enclosed courtyard and fountain, the Landmark Society - owned park opened in 1980 with renovation designed by Handler/Grosso Architect.