- City:
- New York City, Queens, Whitestone, NY
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Playgrounds, Athletic Courts and Fields
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs
- Started:
- 1939
- Completed:
- 1940
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Today’s NYC Parks website explains that the village of Whitestone (now the neighborhood of Whitestone in Queens) acquired this land in 1892. Parks took over the 21 acre site in 1936 in conjunction with the construction of the Whitestone Parkway. This site says that a children’s playground opened on the site in 1939. However, the official opening of the playground was announced by the Parks Department on April 25, 1940:
“Here recreation facilities nave been provided for all age groups. There are three separate children’s completely equipped playgrounds, handball, horseshoe pitching, shuffleboard and basketball courts, a full-sized hard ball and a soft ball diamond as well as a football and soccer field. There is also a large open play area which can be flooded and used for ice skating when sub-freezing temperatures permit.
The opening of [this area] 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.”
The park still serves the Whitestone community.
Source notes
Department of Parks, Press Release, April 25, 1940
NYC Parks - Harvey Park
New York City Parks Department New Deal Projects 1934-43
Site originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on November 27, 2016.
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