Amherst State Park is an park in
Erie County,
New York, United States. The park is located northeast of
Buffalo, partially in the
Village of Williamsville with the balance located in the
Town of Amherst. The park is managed by the Town of Amherst under an agreement with the
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
History
The property that now hosts the park was formerly part of the St. Mary of the Angels Convent, operated by the
Sisters of St. Francis at that location since 1923. The
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
was put up for sale in 1999.
The property was acquired by the Town of Amherst and New York State in January 2000, after both entities evenly split the $5 million price to purchase the former convent and surrounding area. New York State owns of the property while the Town of Amherst owns the remaining of the park's lands. Under an agreement with the state, the town is responsible for managing the property for the purpose of conservation and to make space available for passive recreation.
[
The convent's former motherhouse complex was 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 2002.[ The facility opened in 2004.]
Park facilities
Amherst State Park is located adjacent to Ellicott Creek
Ellicott Creek is a stream in Western New York, United States. It is a tributary of Tonawanda Creek, which in turn flows into the Niagara River.
Course
Ellicott Creek originates in southwest corner of Genesee County, just northeast of Darien La ...
, and features nature trails and biking trails that are open to the general public. Dogs are permitted, however they must be kept on a leash at all times.
See also
* List of New York state parks
References
External links
*
State parks of New York (state)
Parks in Erie County, New York
Protected areas established in 2000
2000 establishments in New York (state)
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