Next month I’ll be observing my 75th orbit around the sun. Having reached the three-quarters of a century mark, I’ve been a bonafide witness to the truth of the adage “What is old becomes new again.” While I certainly can’t apply that bit of folk wisdom to myself (75 years is, after all, 75 years), it’s an observation that rings true for the signage that Meyer Sign recently created for Mount Vernon’s venerable green space, Hillcrest Park. Allow me to explain.

Back in March 2024, Hillcrest Park observed its own milestone when it turned 100 years old. The epicenter of the celebration was Hillcrest Lodge, which was constructed by the Works Project Administration (WPA) in 1938. Thank you, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

In the midst of this anniversary year for Mount Vernon’s beloved recreation venue, Meyer Sign collaborated with the City of Mount Vernon to design, fabricate, and install new signs for the park’s southern and western entrances. The updated design has since been the template for other Parks & Rec signage throughout the city (the most recent being Bonnie Rae Park just off Anderson Road), and in the case of Hillcrest Park, the new design replaced monument signs that were showing the inevitable effects of time and the elements. I can relate.

Shortly after I posted my initial photos of the new Hillcrest Park signs, I sensed a bit of “blowback.” Not surprisingly, the previous signs with their masonry bases were objects of sentimental attachment for many longtime Mount Vernonites. As a Meyer Sign employee, I was sympathetic, but also a bit defensive; after all, my company was executing on the desires of a client. It felt like a “shooting the messenger” moment.

But if I was picking up on some grassroots push back, one person who felt it more strongly was Hizoner, Mount Vernon’s Mayor Peter Donovan. I learned this first hand from Mayor Donovan at a recent Mayor’s Coffee at White Branches. As a quick aside, I highly recommend attending the monthly “Mayor’s Coffee” events, which are held at various public and private locations in Mount Vernon. They are a great way to stay current on what’s happening in our town and a prime example of how local government listens and responds to its constituents.

It turns out that within a New York minute of the Hillcrest Park signage replacements, Mayor Donovan was peppered with reactions of various degrees of shock and dismay over the removal of the old wooden signs. As it so happens, however (and as the mayor tactfully pointed out to the new signs’ detractors), the old wooden entrance signs weren’t actually all that old, dating back to 1985 (recent history for yours truly).

That said, those of you who have recently driven past the western entrance to Hillcrest Park (at the corner of Blodgett and Blackburn roads) have undoubtedly noticed that a new wooden sign has replaced the metal sign from two years ago. This new sign is an exact duplicate of the “original” 1985 wooden version, but with a reconstructed brick monument base that more closely resembles its crumbling predecessor (sans decorative lanterns). However you might feel about the esthetic differences between the 2024 version and today’s retro return, the new sign definitely makes a more prominent statement of the park’s identity — and proof that you can indeed fight city hall if you ask nicely.

Which leaves the question of the 2024 sign at Hillcrest Park’s main entrance (13th Street). Aside from its consistency with the “look and feel” of the current Parks & Rec brand, the current sign is not only proportionally more in keeping with the one it replaced, it also communicates some important facts about the park that its predecessor couldn’t. A quick look at the sign let’s you know all the available amenities that Hillcrest Park has to offer. It’s a reminder as well of all the reasons we love our now 102 year old playground.

By the way, the new/old Hillcrest Park sign isn’t the only example of a Meyer Sign project designed to celebrate a brand dating back a century ago. Look no farther than S 1st Street at the Lincoln Theatre for a beloved example that, unlike yours truly, demonstrates that what is old becomes new again. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion.