The New York herald., 1922-06-18
A Perkins Memorial.
Erection Of IN Assembly Hall at
Bear Mountain Proposed.

Erection Of IN Assembly Hall at
Bear Mountain Proposed.
To THE New YORK HERALD: On Sun
day. June Is. the thousands of recrea-
ton seekers from New York. New Jer-
sey and Connecticut who wend thesr
way to the Palisades Interstate Park
will be making a pilgrimage, so to
speak, to the shrine Of a practical phi-
lanthropist on this. the second anniver-
sary of his death. for the great ma
tional and State playground in the high
lands Of the Hudson frequented by hun
dreds OF thousands of visitors yearly. Ia
indeed. "a monument more enduring
than brass'' to the memory Of its foun-
der. the late George walbridge Perkins.
The Palisades Interstate Park. includ-
Ing the Bear Mountain preserve. con-
ceived by Mr.. Perkins and developed
with the assistance of loyal group
of associates constituting the Palisades
Interstate Park Commission and a zeal
Gus staff Of workers. is growing so rap
Idly in public favor that IL seems fitting
on this occasion to offer q suggestion
appropriate to the day respecting a
testimonial In the form Of q publicly
erected and endowed convocation hail
there to be known as the Perkins Me-
mortal. Built at the foot OF Bear
Mountain. overlooking the Hudson for
miles In q domain princely In it's expan-
siveness and majestic in its setting, such
an edifice. dedicated to gatherings ar
ranged for the educational and intel
lectual benefit Of the parks thousands OF
vS1o %,x1A ~
mate aim and scope Of the great public
resort by completing the recreational
facilities already so substantially in
ausurated.
Bear Mountain and the lower section
Of the park on the Palisades proper are
visited annually by more people than
any national park In the world. with
an area Of over $4,000 acres. on which
over $13.000,000 has been spent to date
on acquiring and improving lands, the
unpaid commission which controls the
park on behalf of the states Of New
York and New Jersey. together With
their general manager. the interchangeable
Major w. A Welch, had the pleasure
of entertaining during the year 1920
1,306.505 visitors.
SouCu LlOVcHuenL tOWdrQ the OUT OF
doors Is unprecedented under the condi-
tions surrounding the park and bespeaks
popular interest In the undertaking so
broad and deep as to make Of 1t fac
tor In the civic growth of these States.
at least, with ramifcations that are po-
tentially national.
Part Of Mr.. Perkins's early life-the
period of the greatest susceptibility 10
Impressions Of environm ent perhaps
was passed in Colorado amid scenery
enshrined in some of the nations most
cherished national Fairgrounds. which
must have appealed strongly to him.
Years later, when success which comes
to but few men in life had crowned hts
efforts. Mr.. Perkins conceived the lofty
idea Of bestowing upon the people Of his
adopted city, New York. a recreation
ground carved out of the region best
adapted to 1t for scenic beauty-the
Palisades of the Hudson and the foot
hills of the Catskills. Here. at the very
threshold Of the metropolis, and almost
at the corner point of three States, Mr..
Perkins created the Palisades Inter-
state Park-to all intents and purposes
q replica Of the great national parks Of
the West right at the very threshold of
the greatest city in the world. The
concept may truly be designated as the
very acme OF public benefactlons-the
last word In citizenship.
At present the park lacks an assem-
bly, hall--a forum and meeting place in
keeping with its character. where public
gatherings may be held. conventions en-
tertained, bodies OF distinguished visi-
tors received. concerts. lectures and
musical festivals provided and pageants
staged.
The Perkins Memorial Hall would
meet the. requirements OF all occasions.
1t should be built by popular subscrip-
ticn as testimonial Of appreciation by
the public to the splendid genius of the
founder Of the park and the preserver Of
the Palisades. the late George Wal
bridge Perkins, nor should it fail to rec
ognize fittingly the bencficence Of loyal
friends Of Mr. Perkins who contributed
half of the fund of $l3.119.41S75 ex-
pended up to 1920.
over a million and half Of people
will visit the park this year. Surely 1t
ought to be easy to organize the Inter-
state Park Assembly for the purpose OF
making Il the medium for financing the
erection of Perkins Memorial Hall as
voluntary association to express the
gratitude of the people of the three
commonwealths whose playground the
park Is.
should like to hear from those OF
your readers who feel as I do on this
subject. REESE p. RfsLEr.