Mid's Park
Mid’s Park is named after Mrs. Henry (Mildred) Uihlein who was instrumental in saving this virtually last open space on Main Street in Lake Placid, New York. In the early 1940’s this piece of land was to be sold for development. Mrs. Uihlein (or Mid as her friends called her), who was active in village concerns and the Garden Club, heard of this news and believed that this piece of property should belong to the village of Lake Placid. It was her dream and vision that this land remain open, be beautifully landscaped and be a relaxing place for all to enjoy. Mid, together with a group of very enthusiastic people and with financial support from the village of Lake Placid , raised the money required to purchase the property. Mid worked with village officials to make this transaction a reality.
As the land was being acquired, World War II ensued and the landscaping vision came to a halt. The green, open space remained as is until the mid 1970’s when the band shell was erected to host the weekly, summer Lake Placid Sinfonietta performances. The shell was a gift from Beth Master in memory of Dr. Paul White, a long-time conductor of the sinfonietta.
In recent years, the sidewalk along the park was in disrepair and in dire need of renovation. A committee was formed to research and implement the renovation of the park and its promenade. The goal of the project was to continue Mid’s dream to create a beautifully landscaped, open space for locals and tourists to enjoy with a lovely view of Mirror Lake.
After reviewing the three designs that were submitted, the committee chose the design that can be seen today with the bow shaped promenade that extends an extra eight feet on each end of the promenade for enhanced views of Mirror Lake. Once again in partnership with the village of Lake Placid, the Uihlein Foundation donated significant funds towards the renovation of the park.
After eighteen months of construction, renovations were completed in the summer of 2005. True to Mid’s vision, it is a beautiful, green, open space, with spectacular views of Mirror Lake from Main Street. On July 4, 2005 the park was dedicated and named “Mid’s Park”. Future projects at Mid’s Park include renovations to the Dr. Paul White Memorial Band Shell.
In the summer of 2014, renovations to the Dr. Paul White Memorial Band Shell were completed. After initial design by Andrew Chary and engineering by Ivan Zdrahal, the permitting and fundraising continued for five years before the project became a reality. The fall of 2013 saw the demolition of the previous band shell and immediately the new foundation was poured. During the winter months the beautiful wood beams were formed and construction began again in the spiring of 2014. The new and improved bandshell includes a bigger stage, extended roof, improved acoustics, retaining wall along the water, as well as an aesthetically pleasing design.
It is because of the vision and dream of Mildred Uihlein that this picturesque park exists today. For over 70 years people from across the globe have been able to enjoy the Park because of this dynamic woman’s foresight. With continued support from the community and guests, we hope this scenic spot will remain an integral part of the Lake Placid landscape forever.
It is with sincere thanks to Mildred Uihlein for saving this beautiful space and once again, with the generous support of the Uihlein Foundation that we bring you
“Songs at Mirror Lake Music Series”.
Written by Katie Million with contributions from Mrs. Ruth Hart and Mr. Jim McKenna.