Barker Park, the 63-year old park in downtown Troy is showing its age, and desperately needs a loving facelift. To the rescue comes Friends of Barker Park. This past November13th, more than 200 people came together to help them achieve their goal "to create a beautiful garden in the heart of Troy, a safe place for residents, workers, and visitors to come and be refreshed."

A fund raising event was held at Franklin Plaza as Friends hosted the Troy Culinary Experience - The Tastes of Troy. Some eleven of Troy's finest restaurants and specialty shops donated their food and talents. Imagine experiencing all of these foods in one location! A group of "celebrity" waiters competed with each other to get the largest tips, all of which were donated to the cause. The ever effable Dean L. Leith won the 2002 Most Appreciated Celebrity Waiter raising $306 in tips from his table.

The dinner donations and tips went to the Friends group in their quest to bring the park back to its former glory as a downtown jewel. Anyone old enough to remember the park knows it was the former site of the city's first burial grounds, then first City Hall, and finally the centerpiece of activity for Trojans with art shows, gatherings, a great fountain, a place to socialize, or just relax after a busy day of shopping downtown. Friends has designed a new Park that will be the talk of Capital land when they are finished. Even one of the old stone tablets of the former City Hall may find its way back to the park when it is completed.

The event's master of ceremonies was Steve Bouchey, who has recently brought his own business to Troy, and Verizon was the corporate sponsor with Rich Amadon from Verizon as honorary chair.

Friends of Barker Park has only been together for a year and half, but they already have made short term improvements with planters and new trees, as well as shining up the old Stanley's building with art in the windows. The eventual goal is to bring back Barker Park and environs to what it was in the 50's when we all knew and loved it. Spearheaded by Anne Carroll of Carroll Reality, the group is made up of local business folks, clergy, and citizens who obviously love Troy. This feast will become an annual event.

The park rehabilitation, when completed, will be breathtakingly beautiful with much greenery, shrubs, trees, benches, a center fountain like the old days, children activity area, and fenced in tastefully. The initial design came from Trojan Carl Erickson, who already has single handedly restored several historic buildings in the city.

The park has a long and interesting history with the city. Originally owned by the Mohican Indian Annape and then Jacob D.VanderHeyden, the latter donated it on May 10, 1796, to the trustees of the new Village of Troy for its first burial ground. More than 200 people were buried there until it was abandoned in 1873.

On June 8, 1875, the burial ground was purchased by the city and by the end of August, 208 burials were removed and reburied. A new city hall building was built and occupied in October 1876. Made of Philadelphia pressed brick, it was 150 feet long and 83 feet wide, taking up most of the block. A clock was placed in the tower in August 1885, illuminated at night by a special automatic gas device attached to a timer. A 6000-pound fire bell was placed in the tower in 1887, cast by Troy's Jones Bell Foundry.

In 1937, a few of the graves left between city hall and the church were also exhumed and reburied at Oakwood.

City Hall burned, under suspicious conditions, on October 28, 1938. Some old timers say the city was being investigated and so they torched it - never proved. After the site was cleaned up and landscaped, it was named Barker Park, after C.W. Tillinghast Barker, a Troy industrialist.

When I was a boy during the 1960's, it was "Pigeon Park." Thousands of well-fed pigeons occupied the park. "Jim the Peanut Man" had a cart on the corner and you could buy fresh roasted peanuts or popcorn for a dime to feed them. Jim's cart is still around somewhere?

In 1964, St. Anthony's Catholic Church received half of the park to build its present church. During the 60's and 70's, the park became a peaceful hippie hangout and the last 20 or so years the park has undergoing several downward transitions. Not any more! When Friends of Barker Park have completed their improvements, Barker Park will be an emerald oasis and activity center for all - young and old - to enjoy once again.