Venue Information

Westerleigh Park and the neighborhood of Westerleigh take their name from the Westerleigh Collegiate Institute of Staten Island, once located nearby. The institute was founded at the end of the 19th century, an unusual and defining period in area history. The Westerleigh neighborhood’s late 19th-early 20th century charm and ‘simple-life’ philosophy are protected by special zoning laws, implemented in 1989 that have helped to maintain the bygone character. As a result, traffic and noise levels are considerably lower than in other areas of Staten Island, and community life is active and close-knit.

First purchased in 1848 by John Vanderbilt, the Westerleigh property was sold by his daughter Sarah to Christopher S. Williams and William H. Boole in 1887. Williams and Boole bought the property on behalf of the National Prohibition Party, for the creation of a summer retreat. By July of the next year, the National Prohibition Campground Association had built a la ...