One of the earliest public spaces in the history of Syracuse, dating back to the 1820's, this park was given it's current boundaries in 1839. For over 150 years this site has been an open public green space, originally set aside as a public square for residents of what was then known as the Village of Syracuse. AS early as 1841, the area became known as Fayette Park.   Around 1866, three men - John Crouse, James M Ellis and Hamilton Swift - began discussions to improve the appearance of the park. Within months, a total of $20,000 was collected from residents, with most of the funds going to the erection of the perimeter iron fence and stone foundation wall, constructed in 1869 and still in existence today.   The park's central focal point is the 19-foot tall Philip Eckel Monument, set within an oval shaped pool with dual fountains on each side. This monument was the third outdoor commemorative monument erected in the city, and honors the life and unfortunate death of German immigrant Fire Chief Philip Eckel. Originally dedicated on August 22, 1900, this monument was located on the city's north side. In 1959, the granite statue was moved to Ashland Park, and in 1979 it was moved once again, to its current location in Fayette Firefighters Park.   The Hamilton White Monument, the seventeenth commemorative monument erected in Syracuse, located on the west end of the park, was dedicated on June 27, 1905. It honors Hamilton Salisbury White, a respected Syracusan who was instrumental in the early growth and development of the Syracuse Fire Department.   In 1934, the Parks Department redesigned the park to a more formal, orderly layout that demanded less maintenance. The overall shape of the park remained, but the pathways were greatly simplified, eliminating the numerous circular paths that existed. A stone exedra was placed at the east end of the park to balance the Hamilton White Monument at the other end. This exedra was later altered when a memorial monument to firefighters (Collins Block Memorial) was added and dedicated on September 30, 1939. This became the third commemorative monument to honor firefighters.   The Common Council officially changed the park's name to Fayette Firefighters Memorial Park on October 10, 1972, to honor and recognize those firefighters killed in the line of duty, making the supreme sacrifice in service to the citizens of the City of Syracuse. In 1985, a fire bell dating from 1871 was added to the park and presently hangs from a 12-foot tall bell tower.