Croton Parks Croton-on-Hudson, NY

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Vassallo Park

Pocket park off Old Post Road South next to the Merwin parking lot, behind Holy Name of Mary Church: a lawn, walking path, stone stage, picnic tables and a historic Croton River grist-mill millstone. Site of village gatherings including the annual holiday tree and menorah lightings.

Operated by Village of Croton-on-Hudson

Open on the map

The park today

The park offers a walking path, a stone stage, a large open lawn, picnic tables, and the historic millstone. It is one of the village's main outdoor gathering spots: the Recreation Department stages summer family-entertainment events here, and it hosts seasonal celebrations including the annual Village Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting. The Merwin municipal parking lot is immediately adjacent, and the Municipal Building is a short walk away.

History

Vassallo Park is a small village green in the heart of Croton, behind Holy Name of Mary Church between Grand Street and Old Post Road South. The origin of its name is not documented in any public source we could find — the village's own memorials page, which explains the naming of Dobbs Park and Manes Field, does not cover Vassallo Park.

Two artifacts anchor the park's history. A millstone from the early grist mill on the Croton River stands in the park; according to its marker, it was saved by John B. Goldsborough, superintendent of construction of the New Croton Dam (completed 1907), and moved from the site of the Goldsborough family home on Grand Street to the park in 1989. The park was also home to the Merwin Oak, a swamp white oak that had stood since before the American Revolution — during the 1987 bicentennial it was jointly recognized by the National Arborist Association and the International Society of Arboriculture as having been alive at the signing of the U.S. Constitution. The tree fell in May 2022; to mark the village's 125th anniversary in 2023, local artisan AnnMarie Sasso crafted its remaining trunk into a table now displayed at the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building.

Visiting

Parking
The Merwin municipal parking lot is directly adjacent to the park, off Old Post Road South.
Getting there
In the heart of the village, behind Holy Name of Mary Church, between Grand Street and Old Post Road South, next to the Merwin parking lot.
Rules
Dogs are prohibited in village parks unless otherwise noted. Park facilities operate on the schedule posted at the facility (Village Code Chapter 168). Unlike several other village parks, the village's parks page does not list a Recreation Photo ID requirement for Vassallo Park.

Accessibility

The operator does not publish accessibility information for this park. What we could verify is below; "not documented" means exactly that.

Accessibility facts for Vassallo Park.
Step-free access Not documented
Accessible parking Not documented
Accessible restroom Not documented
Surfaces Not documented

Sources

  1. Village Parks, Trails, and Open Space Areas — Village of Croton-on-Hudson (via Internet Archive capture of May 16, 2024) — retrieved 2026-08-13
  2. Information for Residents of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson (resident booklet PDF) — retrieved 2026-08-13
  3. Memorials & Monuments — Village of Croton-on-Hudson (Merwin Oak Table entry; via Internet Archive capture of March 29, 2026) — retrieved 2026-08-13
  4. A Walk Through Croton-On-Hudson — Vassallo Park (Howard Dale, aheadworld.org, October 5, 2017; transcribes the millstone and bicentennial-tree markers; via Internet Archive) — retrieved 2026-08-13

Researched 2026-08-13.