- City:
- Brooklyn, New York City, NY
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Playgrounds
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs
- Completed:
- 1937
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
NYC Parks describes the origins of this small park: “In August 1936, the City of New York acquired this property by condemnation for the sum of $87,938.40. That year, Parks assumed jurisdiction over the property, removing sections of both Ocean and Locust Avenues that traversed the property in order to create a full park area. In June 1937, the playground officially opened to the public.”
The press release announcing the opening stated that “the new playground has swings, see-saws, slides, sand tables, playhouses, handball, horseshoe pitching and shuffleboard courts. There is also a wading pool, a softball diamond and an oval shaped roller skating rink. Benches and shade trees are also provided.”
Although these sources do not mention the WPA or other New Deal agencies, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that almost all New York City Parks Department projects between 1934 and 1943 were carried out with New Deal funds and/or labor, and that after April 1935, the WPA quickly became the main source of this support.
The park was renovated in 1995.
Source notes
Department of Parks, Press Release, June 12, 1937 NYC Parks - Kolbert Park New York City Parks Department New Deal Projects 1934-43Site originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on October 26, 2016.
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