The Sister Bay Waterfront has a history going back much farther than the founding of the Village in 1912. A 2015 Archaeological dig in part of the Park just South of Village Hall revealed the remains of a store and blacksmith’s shop. Archaeologists found evidence of Native American Settlement underneath that same site.
As identified in the Village’s 2008 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Waterfront Park creates a vast public space to enjoy the natural beauty of Sister Bay. The Village completed acquisition, based on it’s plan, of the area along the Waterfront in 2012. Prior to this, the Park went by many names, describing the various owners that controlled the land immediately prior to the Village’s purchases. Names like Helm’s Park, Hendrickson Park, Johnson Park and Marina Park describe the parcels that once housed hotels, gas stations, cottages and store fronts. The entire area is now publicly named WATERFRONT PARK, though staff and officials sometimes use the old names in order to give a more precise location for descriptions of events or activities.
Waterfront Park runs from the Mill Road Area around the Sister Bay Yacht Club, Northward over 1800 feet up to the area around Scandia Rd. This Park represents over $18,000,000 in public investment over many decades…..and has created a public, urban waterfront space that is the envy of communities across the Peninsula and beyond.