Chelsea in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Clement Clarke Moore Park
.489 Acre
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 30, 2018
1. Clement Clarke Moore Park Marker
Inscription.
Clement Clarke Moore Park. .489 Acre. Scholar and poet Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) is the namesake of two New York City parks. The first is a playground in Elmhurst, Queens, known as the Clement Clarke Moore Homestead. The second is this playground, located on a former farmstead purchased by Clement's grandfather, Captain Thomas Clarke, in 1750. A retired British Army officer, Captain Clarke named his property "Chelsea” after London's Royal Chelsea Hospital for veterans. His daughter and son-in-law extended the boundaries to what are now 19th Street, Eighth Avenue, 24th Street, and the Hudson River.
Born in New York City, Clement Clarke Moore spent most of his life on the Chelsea estate. He graduated from Columbia College with a B.A. in 1798, an M.A. in 1801, and an honorary LL.D. in 1829. Moore donated land for the nearby General Theological Seminary, where he taught Oriental and Greek literature from 1823 until his retirement in 1850. Fluent in six languages, he published numerous scholarly works, including a Hebrew lexicon, a biography, and several treatises and addresses.
Moore is best known for having penned the delightful children's poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas."
He composed the poem for his wife Catherine and their children in 1822. A family friend had the poem published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel the following year. The poem soon became a classic, popularly known as "The Night before Christmas.” Moore died in Newport, Rhode Island in 1863.
Ninety-nine years later, the West 400 Block Association 23-22-21 initiated the improvement of neglected property at the corner of Tenth Avenue and 22nd Street. The City of New York acquired the site in 1965 for use as a public park. The playground opened on November 22, 1968 and was named for Clement Clarke Moore by local law in 1969.
Renovations to Clement Clarke Moore Park in 1995 included a new perimeter fence, modular play equipment, safety surfacing, pavements, and transplanted trees. Community members plant and maintain the flower beds, and the West 400 Block Association holds a variety of special events at the park. Every Christmas time, residents gather to read the poem that begins with the familiar words:
Twas the night before Christmas, , when all through the house , Not a creature was stirring, , not even a mouse. ,
Scholar and poet Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) is the namesake
of two New York City parks. The
first is a playground in Elmhurst,
Queens, known as the Clement Clarke
Moore Homestead. The second is
this playground, located on a former
farmstead purchased by Clement's
grandfather, Captain Thomas Clarke,
in 1750. A retired British Army officer,
Captain Clarke named his property
"Chelsea” after London's Royal
Chelsea Hospital for veterans. His
daughter and son-in-law extended
the boundaries to what are now
19th Street, Eighth Avenue, 24th
Street, and the Hudson River.
Born in New York City, Clement Clarke
Moore spent most of his life on the
Chelsea estate. He graduated from
Columbia College with a B.A. in 1798,
an M.A. in 1801, and an honorary
LL.D. in 1829. Moore donated land
for the nearby General Theological
Seminary, where he taught Oriental
and Greek literature from 1823 until
his retirement in 1850. Fluent in six
languages, he published numerous
scholarly works, including a Hebrew
lexicon, a biography, and several
treatises and addresses.
Moore is best known for having
penned the delightful children's
poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas."
He composed the poem for his wife
Catherine and their children in 1822.
A family friend had the poem published
anonymously in the Troy Sentinel
Click or scan to see this page online
the
following year. The poem soon became
a classic, popularly known as "The
Night before Christmas.” Moore died
in Newport, Rhode Island in 1863.
Ninety-nine years later, the West 400
Block Association 23-22-21 initiated the
improvement of neglected property at
the corner of Tenth Avenue and 22nd
Street. The City of New York acquired
the site in 1965 for use as a public park.
The playground opened on November
22, 1968 and was named for Clement
Clarke Moore by local law in 1969.
Renovations to Clement Clarke Moore
Park in 1995 included a new perimeter
fence, modular play equipment,
safety surfacing, pavements, and
transplanted trees. Community
members plant and maintain the
flower beds, and the West 400
Block Association holds a variety
of special events at the park. Every
Christmas time, residents gather to
read the poem that begins with the
familiar words:
Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
Erected by NYC Parks.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the NYC Parks series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 22, 1968.
Location. 40° 44.807′ N,
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 30, 2018
2. Clement Clarke Moore Park Marker - wide view
The marker is visible here mounted to the fence, just to the right of the gate.
74° 0.283′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Chelsea. Marker is at the intersection of 10th Avenue and West 22nd Street, on the right when traveling north on 10th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New York NY 10011, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . 1. Clement Clarke Moore (Poetry Foundation). Brief biography of Moore. Note that the biography attributes "A Visit to St. Nicholas" to a different author. (Submitted on June 7, 2019.)
2. A Visit from St. Nicholas (Wikipedia). " 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', more commonly known as 'The Night Before Christmas' and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837...." (Submitted on June 7, 2019.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, August 28, 2008
3. Clement Clarke Moore Park Marker
The earlier (2000) version of the marker.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, 2008
4. Clement Clarke Moore Park Marker
The full text of "The Night Before Christmas" was also on site.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2019, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 7, 2019, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 3, 4. submitted on August 21, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
