Francis Lewis Park – Flushing NY

City:
Flushing, New York City, Queens, NY

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Paths and Trails, Comfort Stations (Restrooms), Playgrounds, Athletic Courts and Fields

New Deal Agencies:
Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs

Started:
1937

Completed:
1941

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

Francis Lewis Park sits at the base of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge in Queens. The park was named after an American “merchant, patriot, and signer of the Declaration of Independence”(nycgovparks). Researcher Frank Da Cruz has compiled evidence of the WPA’s key role in developing this park:

Like Ferry Point park, Francis Lewis Park was part of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge construction project, 1937-41. A New York Parks City Department press release on April 25, 1940, confirms that it was built by the WPA:

The Department of Parks announces that exercises in connection with the dedication of Francis Lewis Park, Third Avenue and 147 Street, Whitestone, Queens, will take place on Friday, April 26, at 3:30 P.M.

Mayor LaGuardia, Borough President Harvey of Queens, Charles U. Powell, Engineer in charge of the Queens Topographical Bureau, and Major Edmond H. Leavey, Deputy Work Projects Administrator, will participate as speakers…

This ten acre park, fronting on the East River and acquired in part to provide the Queens terminus of the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, has been developed mostly as a sitting park with winding paths and broad sloping lawns landscaped with trees and shrubbery. A playground with a brick comfort station, wading pool, handball courts, see-saws, slides, swings and a sand pit has been provided to care for the recreation needs of the neighborhood children…

The opening of these two areas designed by the Park Department and built by the Work Projects Administration makes a total of 323 new or reconstructed playgrounds completed by the Park Department since January 1, 1934. At that time there were 119 playgrounds in the five boroughs and at present there are 403.

Location Info


3rd Ave.
Flushing, NY 11356
Queens County

Coordinates: 40.796558, -73.824801

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One comment on “Francis Lewis Park – Flushing NY

  1. teresa morgante

    was there a waterfront before it became a park

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Contribute to this Site

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One comment on “Francis Lewis Park – Flushing NY

  1. teresa morgante

    was there a waterfront before it became a park

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

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