Kissena Park – Flushing NY

City:
Flushing, Fresh Meadows, New York City, Queens, NY

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Marinas and Aquatic Parks, Paths and Trails, Lakes and Ponds, Comfort Stations (Restrooms), Athletic Courts and Fields

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

Completed:
1941

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

The extensive Kissena Park was first established in the early 1900s and now forms part of the “Queens Corridor” park system. In addition to building a golf course at the east end of the park in the mid 1930s, in 1941, the WPA completed extensive work on the main section of the park surrounding Kissena Lake in 1941:

“Included in the new improvement is a new modern one story brick boat house and boat landing constructed on the east shore of the lake replacing the old outmoded frame boat house and dock formerly located on the south bank adjacent to the old park drive…

The boat landing is located in front of the boat house at the end of a widened portion of the promenade which encircles the lake. This ramping cleat surfaced wood bent structure, (10′ X 65′), supported on wood piles, slopes beneath the water surface to facilitate the removal ana storage of boats.

The balance of the work includes the

1. Reconstruction of lake, including dredging, boundary retaining wall and promenade.
2. Reconstructed culvert inlet and new culvert outlet and weir.
3. A plaza setting for the boat house.
4. Reconstructed comfort station.
5. One baseball and three softball diamonds on filled ground.
6. Two new playgrounds equipped with play apparatus and sand pits.
7. A new system of walks, ramps, gutters, drainage and irrigation.
8. Drinking fountains, flagpole, benches and floodlighting.

Extensive planting operations covering 20 acres include new topsoil and grass seed, 24,000 shrubs in various varieties and 1,000 trees…

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

Source notes

Department of Parks, Press Release, December 8, 1941 NYC Parks - Kissena Park New York City Parks Department New Deal Projects 1934-43

Site originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on December 23, 2016.

Location Info


164th St. and Oak Ave.
Flushing, NY 11365
Queens County

Coordinates: 40.746299, -73.807650

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