From the Parks Department:

This triangle honors Captain William C. Dermody, a dedicated and outspoken abolitionist who was mortally wounded in the Civil War on May 12, 1864 during the battle of Spotsylvania in Virginia. . . .

Prior to 1865, this plot of land located on 216th Street and 48th Avenue was the site of the local two-room school house. In 1866, this site was dedicated to the memory of Captain Dermody by a ceremonial meeting of a Union and Confederate veteran, each planting a special tree: a maple to represent the North and a sycamore to represent the South. The trees were to grow together as a symbol of the communal hope for a better union. To this effect, a monument was placed in the square with the inscription “For a Better Union 1861-1865,” which remains there today.

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Adjacent to the weir

Like the other weirs along the Old Croton, this structure, standing atop both the aqueduct and an intersecting stream,

provided a means of draining a section of the aqueduct tunnel for repairs or in anticipation of water overflow. The weirs were located near streams so the excess water could be diverted to them. The weirs also had openings at the top of the weir structure, hence providing a source of ventilation for the water and to help regulate the water flow through the tunnel.

Each waste weir had a sluice gate which diverted excess water out of the tunnel and into a nearby stream.

As you might have guessed, this trail follows the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct. This portion inside Van Cortlandt Park is a bit more secluded than the last stretch I walked.

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