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PARK AND CEMETERY. 
LETCHWORTH PARK GIFT TO STATE OF NEW YORK 
The public spiritedness of so many 
of our representative citizens, ex- 
pressed in great beneficences such as 
the founding and endowing of hosj^i- 
tals, libraries, and universities, and in 
■\'arious ways for the betterment of 
their less fortunate fellow men, has, 
in a measure, ceased to attract the at- 
tention which it merits. It is not that 
the masses fail to appreciate these acts 
of charity and thoughtfulness, but 
simply because our rich citizens are 
more philanthropic than formerly, and 
that these acts are more common. 
One of the greatest gifts of the year 
is ^Villialn Pryor Letchworth's pre- 
sentation of one thousand acres of 
park lands to the state of New York. 
This great gift is of especial value be- 
cause it preserves to the people some 
of the finest natural scenery in this 
country. 
The nature of Mr. Letchworth’s gift 
renders it of interest to landscape men 
in particular, and it is the purpose of 
the writer to bring before the land- 
scape profession some of the details 
of Letchworth Park, knowing that it 
is often the case that gifts of lands 
to the public are the results of pres- 
sure brought to bear by landscape en- 
thusiasts. 
Letchworth Park, formerly known 
as "Glen Iris” (which really desig- 
nates that portion of the park in the 
immediate environs of Mr. Letch- 
worth’s house) takes in both banks of 
the most beautiful portion of the fa- 
mous Genesee river, for a distance of 
about three miles, near Portage, in 
western New York. It has within its 
confines three waterfalls of great mag- 
nitude. The upper fall is 71 feet in 
height; the middle and largest fall, 
which is situated near Mr. Letch- 
worth's honse, is 110 feet in height 
and is regarded in New York- as sec- 
ond only to the American fall at Ni- 
agara in interest, and the lower fall 
of 96 feet which is also of great beau- 
ty. .These three waterfalls, occurring 
in such close proximity, and flanked 
on either side by almost vertical can- 
yon walls 350 feet high and crowned, 
in some places, with heavy forest 
growths, form a landscape picture 
-that is unique. 
GLEN IRIS. RESIDENCE OP HON. 
AVILLIAM PRYOR LETCHWORTH, 
Mr. Letchworth began -the purchase 
of this large tract of land nearly half 
a century ago and has gradually ac- 
quired the land on both sides of the 
river, in order to preserve the natural 
beauty of the valley. It is said that 
nearly half a million dollars has been 
spent on the park since it came into 
his possession. Extensive improve- 
ments have been made along the lines 
of preserving the natural beauty of the 
place, such as building necessary road- 
ways, woodland paths, and the plant- 
ing of trees to mend the demoralized 
conditions brought about by the axe 
of the lumbernian. Too much praise 
cannot be given to Mr. Letchworth 
for thus preserving, in the proper 
manner, the beautiful natural scenery 
of the park. 
Whenever necessary farm houses 
have been erected, they have been 
made to harmonize with their sur- 
roundings, and have been designed 
chiefly in the Swiss chalet style, which 
is particularly suitable to the high ele- 
vations in the park. 
The park is also of interest from a 
botanical standpoint. Its varied sit- 
uations afford protection to a diversi- 
CANYON OF rPPER GENESEE IN LETCHWORTH PARK. 
Showing Middle and LTper Falls. 
