Riverbank State Park
state park in Manhattan, New York
Riverbank State Park is a 28-acre (11 ha) state park built on top of a sewage treatment facility on the Hudson River, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It was opened in 1993. On September 5, 2017, it was renamed Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, after longtime New York State Assembly member Denny Farrell who represented the surrounding area.
Site
The park located on the Henry Hudson Parkway from 137th Street to 145th Street in Upper Manhattan, 69 feet (21 m) above the Hudson River. The river continues to flow under the structure. A key design consideration for the park was reducing loads to the structure below, so lightweight construction techniques were used wherever possible.
History
Riverbank State Park was designed by Dattner Architects and Abel Bainnson Butz Landscape Architects and opened May 27, 1993. The original idea for a park atop the sewage plant was Philip Johnson's, who proposed a series of decorative fountains and a reflecting pool.
Community opposition forced further proposals for a park design that was useful to the surrounding community. Gruzen Architects made a design proposal in 1969, and Bond Ryder/Lawrence Halprin made another proposal in 1973–1975.
The public source identifies “Riverbank State Park” as state park in Manhattan, New York. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Riverbank, State and Park.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Riverbank State Park”, the useful work is to connect “state park in Manhattan, New York” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2724117. Authority coordinates are 40.825, -73.957. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1993, 2017, 1969 and 1973.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Riverbank State Park”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Riverbank State Park primary sources, Riverbank State Park archive and Riverbank research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Riverbank State Park”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Riverbank State Park” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.