PHOTOS: 'Memory Book' Reveals 85 Years Of Fort Tryon Park

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Maybe now more than ever, New Yorkers are realizing the roles green space like Fort Tryon Park's 65 acres can play as their yard, outdoor sanctuary or "green gym."

And now, with a help of new digital memory book, they can scroll through 85 years of these park memories even as they stay at home.

The Fort Tryon Park Trust has launched a "Fort Tryon Park Memory Book" that celebrates the Uptown Manhattan park's 85th anniversary with photos and memories dating all the way back to the park's creation in 1935.

"The Trust has heard from current locals, regional visitors and park alumni, all of whom have experienced Fort Tryon Park as a place of solace, respite, rejuvenation and joy," Executive Director Jennifer Hoppa said. "It's also been a place for where community is forged, by bringing diverse people — from all walks of life — together for community celebrations, demonstrations, and festivals."

So far, the memory book includes at least a few photos from each decade of the park's existence, and will likely grow as the Trust draws from its archives from Fort Tryon's 50th and 75th anniversary celebrations, Hoppa said.

The Trust is also hoping more residents will submit their own photos or memories about the park — particularly for the 1960s, 70s and 80s when it was undergoing a "considerable transition."

Restoration of the park, much of which had fallen into disrepair, began in the 1980s and has ramped up over the decades since the Trust was officially formed in 1998.

Memories or photos can be sent to info@FortTryonParkTrust.org. The book is expected to be made into a physical copy for the 85th Anniversary celebration later this year.

Here's a peak at some of the photos so far:

1930s: "My parents, Ann and Bill Panulla, newly married and on a walk in the park, 1937," writes Lois Pan.

1950s: "Helen Katz and her mother in 1955 and at Anne Loftus Playground in 1956." Contributed by Helen Katz.

1970s: "Chuck Crosley, Mike Boulanger, Van Kamberos, and Jimmy Barnes in 1973 at “The Circle” entrance on Fort Washington Avenue." Contributed by Larry Boulanger.