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Pickle Park
Park History
The smallest county park is so-called Pickle Park along the edge of the county parking lot along Gorham Street, behind the Court House and Municipal Building in Canandaigua. It is not a part of Public Square. The “pickle,” an island of greenery separating Gorham Street into two lanes between Court and Sly Streets, was created when Gorham Street was paved between 1904 and 1909. The street was quite wide in that block due to the manner in which it was laid out when the farm of Nathaniel Gorham II was opened and sub-divided in 1850. Early in the 20th Century there was a local movement to beautify what was then the Village of Canandaigua. A local editor said flatly, “there is ample room for such a parkway [on Gorham Street] which would add greatly to the beauty of the locality.”
By the mid-1970s, the various offices of county government were running out of space. Several of them were moved from the Court House into smaller buildings across Court Street. Parking remained an issue, however. To alleviate that problem, the county purchased and demolished three houses fronting on Gorham Street between Court and Sly Streets. Together with some other cleared property, those lots became the large parking lot in use today. The front lawns of those properties became the small area of parkland along the south side of Gorham Street that is today also known as Pickle Park.
Park Information
Pickle Park is located on Gorham Street to the North of the Municipal Building. It has several picnic tables where you can relax and enjoy a peaceful afternoon. Due to its small size, events or large gatherings are not recommended. It is open to the public and is a carry-in/carry-out park.
The smallest county park is so-called Pickle Park along the edge of the county parking lot along Gorham Street, behind the Court House and Municipal Building in Canandaigua. It is not a part of Public Square. The “pickle,” an island of greenery separating Gorham Street into two lanes between Court and Sly Streets, was created when Gorham Street was paved between 1904 and 1909. The street was quite wide in that block due to the manner in which it was laid out when the farm of Nathaniel Gorham II was opened and sub-divided in 1850. Early in the 20th Century there was a local movement to beautify what was then the Village of Canandaigua. A local editor said flatly, “there is ample room for such a parkway [on Gorham Street] which would add greatly to the beauty of the locality.”
| Postcard Image of Pickle Park as it Looked About 1910 |
| Demolition of Gorham Street House to Create the County Parking Lot and Pickle Park |
Pickle Park is located on Gorham Street to the North of the Municipal Building. It has several picnic tables where you can relax and enjoy a peaceful afternoon. Due to its small size, events or large gatherings are not recommended. It is open to the public and is a carry-in/carry-out park.