Dyker Beach Park – Brooklyn NY

Description

Dyker Beach Park, located just south of the Dyker Beach Golf Course and north of the Belt Parkway was assembled in eight stages between 1895 and 1934. In 1942, the WPA and the Department of Parks completed extensive work on the park, much of which is still visible today. A press release announcing the completion of a field house and playground described the finished and ongoing work:

“The field house, a one story brick structure, approximately 44′ x 100′ is located at the east end of the athletic field in a paved plaza designed as a focal point for the park entrances and boundary walks…

The playground is subdivided into five fence-enclosed units containing a concrete wading pool, a free play area, shuffleboard courts, play slides, play swings, a pipe frame exercise unit, a sand pit, seesaws, kindergarten slides, and chair swings; also basketball, horseshoe pitching, paddle tennis, and handball courts. A battery of nine tennis courts will be available.

The adjacent development which will be completed later this spring consists of three main areas subdivided for various uses. A 30 acre athletic oval will be divided in half by a 100 foot wide tree planted mall flanked by two bench lined promenades. The two fields are being developed symmetrically, each containing two regulation baseball diamonds, three softball diamonds, one football field with removable goal posts, and concrete bleacher with double wings.

The entire field will be bordered by wide bench lined walks with connections to the Parkway path system and marginal sidewalks. A variety of trees and shrubs will be grouped around the grass surfaced fields which will not be opened for play until a suitable turf has became established.

The work was performed by the Work Projects Administration from plans prepared by the Department of Parks.”

The playground has since been renovated. The nine tennis courts and field house still appear to be standing.