Thousand Island Park, also known as TI Park, is a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
(CDP) in the town of
Orleans,
Jefferson County,
New York, United States, in the
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands (french: Mille-Îles) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for abo ...
region on the
St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...
. Founded in 1875 as a
holiday camp
A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...
, the
incorporated community
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the g ...
remains a seasonal summer community; despite 323 housing units, there was only a population of 31 permanent residents as of the
2010 census.
The community is a national
historic district, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1982.
The district is notable for its outstanding concentration of substantially-intact late 19th-century and early 20th-century resort architecture.
[''See also:'' ''and:'' ] The park also contains Vivekananda Cottage, a
Hindu sacred site visited by the
Swami Vivekananda and his followers.
Geography
Thousand Island Park is in the northern part of the town of Orleans, at the southwest end of
Wellesley Island
Wellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, United States is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.
History
The island was named Wells Island but during his 1815 survey of the US-Canada border renamed by ...
, one of the largest of the Thousand Islands. It is bordered to the east by
Wellesley Island State Park
Wellesley Island State Park is a state park located on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River in the Town of Orleans in Jefferson County, New York. The park is divided into sections that are on different parts of the island. It has the lar ...
. The community is reached by automobile using County Route 100, which leads northeast to
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...
at Exit 51.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the Thousand Island Park CDP has a total area of , all land.
Rock Island Light
Rock Island Light is a lighthouse on Rock Island in the Saint Lawrence River in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The island is owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and operated as Rock Isla ...
is southeast of Thousand Island Park in the middle of the south channel of the St. Lawrence, known as American Narrows, and
Fishers Landing is directly across the narrows on the mainland, southeast of the community.
Demographics
As of the 2020 US Census, the population of the Thousand Island Park CDP was 96.
History
1875–1912: Golden Era
In 1875, Thousand Island Park was founded by Rev. J.F. Dayan, as a Methodist summer,
Chautauqua
Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...
-like community. The main purpose was to enable families to secure pleasant lots for cottages or tents where they could spend a portion of the summer in a beautiful, cool, and salubrious place with religious purposes being secondary. The Park's landmarks, homes, and way of life were nearly destroyed by fire. It is fortunate so much remains.
The Methodist summer camp colony that surrounded the Tabernacle was soon transformed from a tent city into a permanent village of summer residences. It was built on a scale far surpassing other similar associations. All roads lead to the Tabernacle centered prominently and squarely at the head of the Park on St. Lawrence Ave. The Tabernacle was the center for socialization and participation in Chautauqua-like programs which included religious studies, Sunday school institutes, outdoor recreation, travel lectures, temperance rallies and discussion of social reforms.
![Carpenter Gothic Revival Cottage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Carpenter_Gothic_Revival_Cottage.JPG)
Campers leased lots, set up their tents on the preferred, prime lots closest to the Tabernacle. This grouping of tents was often called a tent city. The first diminutive
cottages were
tents constructed of wood on the original wooden tent platform. Individual owners also improvised, conceived and produced hybrids, combining styles and embellishing these small Tent Platform/Campground style structures, called the Landmark Shop, with fanciful gingerbread.
As the architecture on the Park evolved, larger structures came into vogue. Much of the look of these Victorian cottages derives its characteristics from the varied styles of nineteenth-century architecture. In addition to the charming Gothic Tent style cottages,
Gothic Revival,
Eastlake,
Stick,
Shingle, and
Queen Anne became popular architectural styles. After the fire of 1912,
Bungalow/Craftsman
In the United States, the National Register of Historic Places classifies its listings by various types of architecture. Listed properties often are given one or more of 40 standard architectural style classifications that appear in the National ...
styles,
Neoclassical Revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
style, and
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
cottages were added to the Park's varied styles of architecture.
By 1890, the Park was firmly established with nearly 600 cottages and 7,000 summer inhabitants. A more liberal policy relaxed restrictions on curfews and the prohibition of cards and alcohol bringing more of a resort character to the Park. The Pavilion was the main entry to this Methodist retreat at a time when all travel to Wellesley Island was by water. The new, larger Pavilion was able to accommodate the landing of steamships and served as the gateway to the Park with hundreds of visitors seeking intellectual pursuits and entertainment by participating in the Chautauqua programs.
The destruction by fire in 1912 of the Park's last great hotel
The Columbianand 99 cottages plus the business district, signaled the end of the Golden Era.
[This NY Times article, dated July 12, 1912 describes the disastrous Fire of 1912](_blank)
["PARK FIRE SWEPT AT THOUSAND ISLANDS" ](_blank)
''The New York Times'', July 10, 1912
1913–1974: Mid-century changes
Following the fire, families continued to summer in the park but tourism in the region slowly declined.
After the fire and through the
Great Depression, barely half of the cottages were occupied and eventually, another 200 cottages were torn down.
In 1933, the Thousand Island Park Association corporation was foreclosed due to financial troubles and the property was sold to the new Wellesley Island Park Inc. TI Park continued to decline in the following two decades. Most of the Park’s hotels closed and many cottages were torn down; by 1950, there were only 12 businesses and 320 cottages on the Park, compared to 600 in the late 1800s. The park corporation was deeply in debt; in 1953, it became the Thousand Island Park Corporation. Families continued to enjoy the park during the summer and it became a mostly non-religious community in the 1960s and '70s.
1975–present: Historic preservation and revival
![4th of July at TIP 08](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/4th_of_July_at_TIP_08.jpg)
In 1975, the Centennial Celebration served as a catalyst for change in the Park; the architectural charm and setting was once again appreciated. The Centennial Year Celebration inspired the formation of the Landmark Society in 1976, and the path that led to the Park regaining its architectural character and integrity. A small group of dedicated Landmark Society members initiated the nomination of Thousand Island Park to the National Register of Historic Places, finally achieved in 1982. The Thousand Island Park Landmark Society is supported today by individuals who promote the mission set forth by the Landmark founders.
The restoration and preservation of TI Park continued into the 2000s. In 2014, the park faced another serious fire when the building at the community's four corners, containing The Guzzle, grocery store, volunteer fire department, a few small shops and offices, a plumbing company, and the post office, burned down.
A smaller replacement building was rebuilt on that corner and opened in 2017.
Swami Vivekananda
In 1895, the
Swami Vivekananda spent seven weeks in Thousand Island Park. The swami is an Indian saint best known for his contributions to the interfaith movement and introduction of
vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
and
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
in the Western world.
Residing with an American follower in her cottage, the stay served as a respite following the swami's two-year American tour following his address at the 1893
Parliament of the World's Religions
There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...
. He performed lectures to visiting members of his
Vedanta Society
Vedanta Societies refer to organizations, groups, or societies formed for the study, practice, and propagation of Vedanta, the ancient religion based on the Vedas. More specifically, they "comprise the American arm of the Indian Ramakrishna mov ...
, which were later compiled into the book ''
Inspired Talks
''Inspired Talks'' (first published 1909) is a book compiled from a series of lectures of Swami Vivekananda. From mid-June to early August 1895, Vivekananda conducted a series of private lectures to a group of selected disciples at Thousand Isla ...
'', published in 1909. He also composed poems including "
The Song of the Sannyasin" and "
My Play is Done."
In 1947, followers of the Swami Vivekananda purchased the building and named it the Vivekananda Cottage; it is now owned and operated by the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center
The Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center of New York is a branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India, founded in 1933 by Swami Nikhilananda. After Nikhilananda's death in 1973, the center was headed by Swami Adiswarananda until the latter's death in 200 ...
which holds classes and retreats there during the summer. The cottage has become a
Hindu sacred site. A plaque dedication service was organized in 1995 by the Park to commemorate the centenary of the Swami Vivekananda’s arrival in Thousand Island Park.
Notable people
*
Abbie Hoffman (1936–1989) – activist and member of the
Chicago Seven
The Chicago Seven, originally the Chicago Eight and also known as the Conspiracy Eight or Conspiracy Seven, were seven defendants—Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Lee Weiner—charged by ...
; resident of the neighboring Fineview community in the late 1970s
*
Abhayananda (b. 1842) – American swami monk; visited in 1895
*
George N. Kennedy (1822–1901) – New York state senator; deathplace
*
Sister Christine
Sister Christine or Christina Greenstidel (17 August 1866 – 27 March 1930) was a school teacher, and close friend and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. On 24 February 1894, Christine attended a lecture of Vivekananda in Detroit, United States which ...
(1866–1930) – American disciple of Swami Vivekananda; visited in 1895
*
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) – Indian
swami
Swami ( ; sometimes abbreviated sw.) in Hinduism is an honorific title given to a male or female ascetic who has chosen the path of renunciation (''sanyāsa''), or has been initiated into a religious monastic order of Vaishnavas. It is used eit ...
monk and philosopher; visited and lectured in 1895
In popular culture
* Title of a song on the 1973 jazz fusion album ''
Birds of Fire
''Birds of Fire'' is the second studio album by jazz fusion band the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was released on January 3, 1973, by Columbia Records and is the last studio album released by the original band line-up before it dissolved.
As with th ...
'' by
Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Mahavishnu Orchestra were a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in 1971, led by English guitarist John McLaughlin. The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of activity, from 1971 to 1976 ...
See also
*
Wellesley Island
Wellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, United States is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.
History
The island was named Wells Island but during his 1815 survey of the US-Canada border renamed by ...
*
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands (french: Mille-Îles) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for abo ...
References
External links
TI Park Corporation
Census-designated places in New York (state)
Census-designated places in Jefferson County, New York
Hamlets in New York (state)
Hamlets in Jefferson County, New York
Thousand Islands
Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, New York
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
Historic districts in Jefferson County, New York
National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, New York
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