The history of Brand Park is rich, dating back to the Revolutionary War. After the Battle of Newtown led by General John Sullivan in 1779, veteran Michael Sly moved from Pennsylvania with his wife and ten children and became one of the earliest and most prominent settlers of Elmira. In 1792, Sly purchase 162 acres of land, he would soon expand his property to nearly 975 acres after a second purchase in 1793. Though much of the Sly family would move back to Pennsylvania, his son John with wife Polly and thirteen children returned to Elmira and built a large Greek Revival home that remained on the corner of Madison and Sly street until 1961.
In 1856 one of John’s daughters, Catherine Sly inherited the home and would begin selling off much of the land that she inherited. Many streets around this area were named after descendants of the Sly family such as: Catherine St; (Catherine Sly), Spaulding St. (Kate S. Spaulding), Robinson St. (David C. Robinson, Mayor of Elmira), and Baldwin St. (John S. Baldwin).
Part of the land that was sold off was purchased by prominent Maple Avenue resident John Brand Senior, whom in the 1850’s began planting and harvesting to***co. By 1873 his success was well known, he established a to***co leaf business partnering with his son, John Brand Jr. A majority of what is now Brand Park was utilized for the growing of the to***co business and was call Riverside Park and “The Buttonwoods” after a large stand of buttonwood (sycamore) trees.
In 1890, John Brand Jr. and his wife Clara built the home that sits on the corner of what is now Maple Avenue and Catherine Street. Designed by architects Otis Dockstader & John H. Considine, this Queen Anne Style home is still standing and is listed on the Nation Register for Historic Places.
In 1901, John Brand Jr. donated 22 acres of his land to the City of Elmira. At one time, the park contained beautiful flower gardens, fountains, walking trails, a picnic pavilion and a bandstand to hold concerts in the park. In the 1920s, the Lions Club raised $17,000 to build the Brand Park Pool. Unfortunately, after numerous natural disasters (flood of 1946, hurricane in 1974 and the flood of 1972,) and lack of funding, Brand Park fell on hard times.
As time passed and the park lost much of the luster of its historical relevance to the city of Elmira. In 1976, local business owners Harold & Winnie Watts purchased and established their real estate business, Watts Real Estate at 352 Maple Avenue. Seeing the natural beauty and historical significance of the area, Harold and Winnie would soon purchase and restore several properties on Maple Avenue that included the John Brand Jr. home at 351 Maple Avenue and promoted local business with specialty shops Maple Avenue Antiques and The Side Porch.
With their love for community, local business and history, Harold and Winnie embarked on a revitalization enlisting the help of their neighbors Mark and Julie Delgrosso (The Christmas House), Dan Hurley (Bradley Farms), Vicki Rachel (Antique Revival), Cy Haverly, numerous volunteers and home owners to bring the area back to prominence.
Harold and Winnie’s tireless efforts would lead to the creation of the Maple Avenue Task Force in the 1990’s. This task force was instrumental, with the help of the city, Community Development and residents, the park bandstand was built for community activities. Riverside Elementary School, First Time Home Buyers and the Garden Club created a flower garden in the park and The Christmas House, Maple Avenue Antiques and Antique Revival have lined Maple Avenue with flower barrels to add a touch of beauty.
Annual Activities have become a mainstay of Brand Park during the summer months, which include the Olde Tyme Summer Festival (est. 1994) and the weekly Summer Concert Series (est. 2002).
To ensure the maintenance and continued improvement of the hard work performed by the Maple Avenue Task Force, the Brand Park Beautification Committee was formed with Harold Watts as the Chairman (retired 2017).
Since it’s inception, the Brand Park Beautification has been significant in developing the park to include a brick path and pathway lanterns. Perennial flowers have been planted, and a pavilion has been constructed with handicap accessibility for the elderly.
The Brand Park Beautification Committee hosts the annual Summer Concerts series and the Olde Tyme Summer Festival offered to the community free of charge each year. The annual concerts and festival is put together by the Brand Park Beautification Committee, which is composed of volunteers. All concerts are made possible by donations from local business and community.
