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Bridge Plaza in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Maritcha R. Lyons Park

 
 
Maritcha R. Lyons Park Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 1, 2021
1. Maritcha R. Lyons Park Marker
Inscription.
What was here before?
The Board of Estimate (a now defunct municipal body) first acquired this property in 1944 as part of the construction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Built under the direction of Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Chairman Robert Moses (1888-1981) between 1946 and 1964, the BQE was intended to relieve congestion on local streets and aid industry and commerce by shortening transportation time between the boroughs. Its construction caused widespread displacement of local residents and businesses.

How did this site become a park?
Demolition and construction staging to build the BQE resulted in several remnant properties in public jurisdiction in proximity to the new expressway. One year after construction of the BQE began, Parks assumed jurisdiction over this property, which remained nameless until 1998 when it was named Bridge Park 1 in reference to the nearby Manhattan Bridge. The planted seating area was completed around the time the BQE opened.

Who is this park named for?
In 2020 as part of an NYC Parks initiative to expand the representation of African Americans honored in parks, the park was renamed for Maritcha R. Lyons (1848-1929), an American educator, civic leader, suffragist, and public speaker in New York City. She was born in lower
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Manhattan in the area once known as the Five Points. Her parents, Albro Sr. and Mary Joseph, operated a seaman's home for Black sailors that also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, where slaves seeking freedom were sheltered in safety.

During the New York City Draft Riots of 1863, her home was attacked, and the family fled to Massachusetts before settling in Providence, Rhode Island. While there, Lyons attempted to enroll in high school but as denied due to her race. Her family successfully sued the state to integrate the school, and she became the first African American graduate of Providence High School.

Lyons returned to New York after graduating and accepted a teaching position in Brooklyn's Colored School No. 1 in nearby Fort Greene. She taught in Brooklyn public schools for 48 yeas and was the second Black woman to serve the Brooklyn school system as an assistant principal.

Throughout her life, Lyons fought for women's right to vote and was a member of the colored Women's Equal Suffrage League of Brooklyn. She died in 1929 in Brooklyn, leaving a legacy of advancing women's rights and racial justice.
 
Erected by NYC Parks.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansCivil Rights
Maritcha R. Lyons Park Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 1, 2021
2. Maritcha R. Lyons Park Marker
EducationParks & Recreational AreasWomen. In addition, it is included in the NYC Parks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1944.
 
Location. 40° 42.044′ N, 73° 59.194′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Bridge Plaza. Marker is at the intersection of Jay Street and Prospect Street, on the right when traveling north on Jay Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 33 Jay St, Brooklyn NY 11201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Heritage (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Heritage (about 400 feet away); Clumber Corner (about 600 feet away); Trinity Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Jay Gaynor (approx. ¼ mile away); Kirkman Lofts (approx. ¼ mile away); Brooklyn War Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); History in the Park (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.
 
Additional keywords. Universal suffrage; Womanism
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 137 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on October 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

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Mar. 28, 2024