Riverside Park: Claremont Playground on the
site of the historical
Claremont Inn, dating from 1806, which was
renovated in the 1930s by the WPA, but which burned down in stages between
1949 and 1951. The Inn, and now the playground, sit on a promontory that
looks up the river towards the George Washington Bridge.
References:
- NY City Department of Parks
press release of September 28, 1934: “Claremont Restaurant would
be closed on Monday, October 1st [until December], in order to install a
heating system adequate for the Winter months and for minor alterations to
provide an enclosed space for patrons of the restaurant to enjoy the
up-river view.”
- NY City Department of Parks
press release of October 19, 1934, MEMORANDUM ON ORGANIZATION OF WORK
RELIEF PROJECTS: “Claremont Inn on Riverside Drive has been renovated
and opened as a popular priced restaurant”.
- NY City Department of Parks
press release of April 30, 1937: “The historic Claremont was built
in 1806, and is recognized as one of New York's landmarks, overlooking the
Hudson River on Riverside Drive north of Grant's Tomb. The exterior has
been repainted and the interior has been renovated.”
- NY City Department of Parks
press release of April 6, 1939: “The Department of Parks announces
that the historic Claremont Inn built in 1806, and recognized as one of New
York's landmarks on Riverside Drive north of Grant's Tomb will reopen at
noon on Saturday, April 8th."
- Cohen, Marjorie, The
Claremont Inn: A Lost Treasure on the Banks of the Hudson, West Side
Rag,
February 7, 2012.