Former girls college campus to re-open as park in Millbrook

Sep 29

Written By HVNY

First built in 1890 as a luxury hotel site, Bennett College on the edge of the Village of Millbrook was once a thriving, educational institution for women, with majors including art, fashion design, interior design, music, modern languages, literature, history, dance, drama, child development, equine studies, and domestic science. But due to the popularity of co-education, the school closed in the 1970s, students transferred to schools offering 4-year degrees like Marist, and the grounds have sat untouched for decades – until this weekend.

Bennett Park, a 35-acre green space on the former college campus, will officially open its first phase to the public on Sunday, October 5, 2025 from 2-5pm. Oakleigh Thorn, CEO of the Millbrook Community Partnership, will offer remarks followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony of the revamped 35-acre park at 2:30pm. Live music, refreshments and souvenirs. Lawn chairs and picnic blankets encouraged.

While many of the iconic college buildings were demolished due to asbestos and lack of maintenance, several features of the college have been preserved, and will be incorporated into the park design, including the Halcyon Hall stonework and Otis Birdcage elevator. The park will also feature miles of walking and biking trails.

The Bennett Park project led by the Millbrook Community Partnership, also includes the renovation of the Thorne Building in the Village of Millbrook. The Thorne Building project calls for the renovation of the 1890s Beaux-Arts school building at the top of Franklin Avenue into a community center, offering film and theatre programs, a technology center, co-working space for local citizens, culinary programs, gallery space, a computer gaming room, music and art studios, and public meeting, event and seminar facilities.

“We want to take two of our communities’ greatest liabilities – the dangerous deterioration of the Bennett Campus and the gradual deterioration of the Thorne Building – and transform them to be among our greatest assets,” said Oakleigh Thorne, President of the MPC. “These programs will provide tremendous benefit to all citizens of our community and also attract young families to central Dutchess County, thereby helping to ensure the health and vitality of our community for generations to come.”

For more information, visit https://www.millbrookbennettpark.org/