 Though in earlier centuries the park served as a common ground for farm animals and fire kindling, the redesigned park came to be used as a place for recreation in the sense currently given to public parks today.Though today all of the park lies within the city limits of Haarlem, the Southern end of the park was in Heemstede until this land was annexed by Haarlem in 1927.Heemstede did not charge taxes on drinking bier and wine in public taverns, and for this reason drinking in Heemstede taverns in the park was very popular and even caused an argument between the Haarlem city council and the Heemstede city council that escalated to the high court of Mechelen and had to be resolved in 1539 with a special map by Simon Meeuszoon.