Southwick Beach State Park - Boogie, Baseball, and Beaches: The Southwick History

Boogie, Baseball, and Beaches: The Southwick History

Southwick Beach State Park was named after the Southwick family, who owned the property for nearly a century (1870 to 1960); the park is referred to as "Southwick's Beach State Park" on some maps. Starting in the 1920s, several promoters built entertainment facilities on the property. The most notable was Albert Ellis, who leased the beach from the Southwick family for about 15 years, and developed it as the "Coney Island" of Northern New York. In time, the beach boasted a roller coaster, bathhouses, a dance pavilion, merry go-round, and midway. Ellis also organized the Jefferson County Amateur Baseball League. A baseball diamond was built at Southwick Beach, and for several years there was a Southwick Beach team. These businesses failed during the Great Depression.

By the 1950s, the value of the eastern Lake Ontario shoreline for recreation and conservation was becoming clear, although little of this land was publicly owned. In 1960, the Leesi Management Corporation of Syracuse purchased the beach property from the Southwick family and operated the beach as a recreational facility for five years. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation purchased the property in 1965 for $150,000; Southwick Beach State Park opened in May, 1966.