300 The Story of The Bronx 



the bluff on which the house stands, and which was opened to 

 the public on Memorial Day of the latter year. It has Dutch 

 trees, and Dutch walks, and Dutch flowers, and, above all, 

 Dutch canals, which are supplied by the water from Tippett's 

 Brook. Let us leave the heads to their remembrances and go 

 where they cannot see or hear. 



The shady lane of locust trees leads to the station of the 

 Putnam Railroad. Just north of the station is Van Cortlandt 

 Lake and the dam and site of the ancient mills. In the winter 

 time, this end of the lake near the dam is given over to the 

 famous Scotch sport of curling, the rest of the lake being re- 

 served for skaters. To the east of the station and the lake is 

 an eighteen-hole golf course free to the public. A commodi- 

 ous shelter-house has been erected for the use of the golfers 

 and skaters, and in the summer time boats may be procured 

 for use on the lake. There are also several tennis courts to 

 the west of the mansion, and the parade ground is "common" 

 at all times to those who play base-ball. 



Directly back of the mansion is the statue of General Josiah 

 Porter, for many years adjutant-general of the State. The 

 statue was unveiled with appropriate ceremonies in September, 

 1902. It faces the great level plain of the parade ground, the 

 largest drill ground in the State, comprising one hundred and 

 fifty acres, a part of which was Van der Donck's "planting 

 field. " The park authorities did not have much filling in or 

 grading to do in getting it ready for drill purposes. Upon 

 several occasions, two brigades have held sham battles and 

 reviews, and it has been used frequently for camping out by 

 the city batteries and mounted troops. There are also three 

 polo fields, opened since 1901, which have become immensely 

 popular, thousands of visitors witnessing the games between 

 the various contestants. There is also a practice ground for 



