Confluence Park

Confluence Park. . Located at the convergence of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers, Confluence Park is the hub of the Two Rivers Greenway and a meeting of Binghamton’s past and present. , [captions] The South Washington Street Bridge, shown here, was designed by William O. Douglas and built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. of East Berlin, CT in 1886. The bridge is the longest multiple span, lenticular truss bridge constructed in New York and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “The Skirmisher” was sculpted in bronze by Robert Aikens and dedicated in 1925, to those in Broome County who served in the Spanish-American War. “Blues on the Bridge”, an annual music festival held on the South Washington Street Bridge and Memorial Bridge. , Confluence Park is located at the convergence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. It has been a gathering place for peoples from pre-history to the present. Today it is the site for many wedding, engagement and graduation photos. Extensive archaeological work by Binghamton University has verified our Native American settles, fished, hunted, and traded along these banks. The Iroquois considered the confluence sacred for its position where the rivers met. Then and now it’s a fascinating place! , On August 18, 1779, the colonial army of General James Clinton camped at this spot on a campaign against the Iroquois and other Native American Indian tribes who supported the British in the American Revolutionary War. The army was traveling south and west to join forces with the troops of Gen. John Sullivan. , The Chenango Canal, completed in 1837, connected Binghamton with the Erie Canal. Approximately 97 miles long, it terminated immediately north of Confluence Park, near the location of Memorial Bridge. Coal, lumber, agricultural goods and manufactured items were shipped out of Binghamton. It officially closed in 1878. , The City of Binghamton, originally named Chenango Point, grew at a natural meeting place for settlers at the confluence of two great rivers. Binghamton began to grow rapidly upon the 1837 opening of the Chenango Canal. The Canal connected the growing village to the Erie Canal. By 1868 Binghamton had incorporated as a city and continued to grow. Nearby floodwalls built after two devastating floods in the 1930s limited access to our rivers. In 2001, Mayor Richard A. Bucci working with the New York State initiated the River Trail Project which commenced at Confluence Park. In 2015, Mayor Richard C. David announced the extension of the trail to Otsiningo Park and authorized the North Susquehanna Trail expansion. The Chenango Promenade segment provides improved river access to the public and encourages conservation, tourism and recreation. The City of Binghamton hopes that you enjoy the Two Rivers Greenway.