- City:
- Bronx, New York City, NY
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Comfort Stations (Restrooms), Playgrounds, Athletic Courts and Fields
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Completed:
- 1940
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Although the history of this park is difficult to pin down, researcher Frank da Cruz makes a compelling argument that this is one of many WPA playgrounds built during the New Deal. First, it is located at the North end of Bronx Park, where all the development was done by the WPA. As da Cruz explains, “The timing is right too; the Parks Department says, ‘Parks obtained the land for Olinville Playground in conjunction with the construction of the Bronx River Parkway extension in 1938′” – a period in which literally hundreds of municipal parks were developed by the WPA. Furthermore, da Cruz has scoured New York City Parks Department releases from the period and concluded that Olinville Playground is likely the fourth playground referred to in a 1940 release announcing newly opened playgrounds. Finally, “[p]erhaps the most compelling argument is that it looks exactly like the WPA-built playgrounds all around it: same fence, same swings, same surface, same flagpole and pedestal, same comfort station.” (https://www.kermitproject.org)
Source notes
https://www.kermitproject.org/newdeal/olinville10.html https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bronx-river-parkway/highlights/11681Site originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on June 10, 2015.
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