In 1907, John Seamon, a successful Saugerties businessman, purchased the Egbert Cooper property and deeded it to the Village on August 7, 1909, “for use as a park, a breathing place, open and free at all times to every person.”

The Parcel, purchased for $10,000 abutted the former Martin Terwilliger grist mill and included the custodian’s home, occupied prior to 1875 by E. Seiger. In 1922, John’s sister, Henrietta Seamon, established a Memorial Fund which has since been used to maintain and enhance the Park through the Village of Saugerties and a Park Board.

Other benefactors followed. The Children’s Statue in the front of the Park home was purchased with pennies collected by the children many years ago. In 1929, fireplaces in the picnic area were built by the Camp Fire Girls and their mentor, Maude Washburn. Cast bronze fountains and plantings of fl owering shrubs and trees added to the beauty of the site and in 1965 the Saugerties Rotary Club and other citizens proclaimed a Chrysanthemum Festival to add to the awareness and appreciation of the site.

In 1971, a group formed The Little Sawyer Association and constructed a replica of a pre-Revolutionary War grist mill adjacent to the Park. A modern cast aluminum sculpture was donated by the international sculptor, Ezio Martinelli, in 1979. The Village added to the fall festival by creating plantings of mums on Village streets each year. The Chrysanthemum Festival continues as one of the major fall events of Saugerties, a varied and beautiful display of the Park and its breathtaking view of the Catskill Mountains.

John Seamon’s love for his Village and his vision of a beautiful park overlooking the mountains has been achieved. It endures in the continued cooperation of a wide range of citizen organizations that combine each year to make the Chrysanthemum Festival both an appreciation and a celebration of Seamon Park.

Today

A beautiful, hilly park in the Northeast corner of the Village of Saugerties . . . Seamon Park is beautifully landscaped throughout the year. It really shines in early October (in 2006, October 1st to be exact), when the Mum Festival features an incredible variety and number of chrysanthemums, as well as interesting art displays, musical entertainment, and food booths.

In December, the Park is lit up with a dazzling array of Christmas lights (in 2006, the lighting takes place on December 10th).

Come see why Seamon Park is the place of choice in Saugerties for wedding pictures, taking the kids for a swing or a slide. Whether taking in the flower beds, shrubs and trees, or taking in the great views of the Catskills from the high points in the park, you'll commune with nature no matter which way you turn.

Hours:
The park is open year-round, from dusk to dawn.