Hackett Park

Bound by West 254th Street, Riverdale Avenue, and the Henry Hudson Parkway, this park honors the achievements of educator Dr. Frank S. Hackett (1878-1952). Hackett was born in Albany, New York, the son of Bartholomew, a draftsman, and Elizabeth Clark, a dressmaker. He attended Trinity High School and was admitted to Columbia University. Following graduation, Hackett remained at his alma mater, becoming an English instructor. After a brief period working for a publisher, he served as Assistant Headmaster of the Berkeley School, located on East 43rd Street, between 1905 and 1907. In 1907, Hackett founded the Bronx-based Riverdale Country School with his first wife, Francis Dean Allen. (Together, the Hacketts had six children: Allen, Stephen, Daniel, Frederick, Robert, and Elizabeth.) Located near present-day Riverdale Park, the private school opened with a budget of $500, four teachers, and twelve male students. The school was founded on Dr. Hackett's innovative "...