June 27th, 2023
“Legends and Lore” marker commemorates park’s mysterious “White Lady”
Spanish Language Version (PDF)
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello today unveiled a new historical marker that commemorates the legend of Durand Eastman Park’s “White Lady.” While the story is likely a folktale, it’s one that has been retold for generations by Irondequoit residents and patrons of the park.
According to the legend, a stone wall in Durand Eastman Park is all that remains of a castle that was home to a reclusive woman and her daughter more than a century ago. One night the daughter snuck out and never returned, and her mother spent every night searching the lake shore with her two white dogs. She never found her daughter, eventually dying brokenhearted and leaving the castle to crumble. Ever since then, reports have circulated of a white ghost, accompanied by her two ghosts, strolling along the beachfront and scaring young locals who visit the area after dark.
“The legend of Durand Eastman Park’s ‘White Lady’ is one that has been passed down from generation to generation,” said County Executive Bello. “Perhaps the ghost story began as a warning to young people about the dangers of seeking adventure after dark. But folklore is about more than cautionary tales. It’s about understanding that despite our differences, we all have shared experiences, and because of them we are all connected.”
The marker was made possible by a grant from the William C. Pomeroy Foundation. Since its inception, the Foundation has funded over 1,800 historical markers in 46 states. The effort to obtain the grant was spearheaded by volunteers from the Irondequoit Neighborhood Roundtable and Helping Irondequoit Plan for Progress.
The marker reads: “The White Lady: Grieving woman’s ghost and her wolf-like hounds appear in the night mist searching the roadside for her lost daughter.”
