Bensonhurst in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Seth Low Playground
4.946 acres
This playground honors Seth Low (1860-1916), former president of Columbia University (1890-1901)now Columbia Universityand mayor of New York (1901-1903). Low was born in Brooklyn and educated at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and Columbia College. Graduating in 1870, he went on to study law, but, at the request of his father, he joined the family's tea and silk importing firm.
Low was a reformer in his family's tradition. His grandfather had organized the Brooklyn Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, and, in 1878, Low established the Bureau of Charities of Brooklyn. He gravitated towards political reform, campaigning for James A. Garfield (1831-1881), the Republican candidate for president in 1880. Low himself served two two-year terms as mayor of the City of Brooklyn (1881-1885). During his time in office, he reorganized the public school system, instituted the merit system in municipal service, and reduced Brooklyn's budget deficit.
After helping draft the charter that consolidated the five boroughs into New York City in 1898, Low ran for mayor of New York on the Citizens Union ticket. He lost
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Low was named a trustee of Columbia College in 1880 and president of the school in 1890. He remained in that position until 1901, when he assumed the mayorality of New York. He initiated Columbia's transformation from a college into a major university, establishing a graduate education program and creating affiliations with other institutions including Barnard College, Teachers College, and the College of Physicians and surgeons. Low Memorial Library, which Low founded, is named for his father. Low remained a Columbia trustee until 1914, giving up his position to protest the policy of denying Jews access
Seth Low Playground, bounded by Bay Parkway, Avenue P, and West 12th Street, is located in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn and is adjacent to the Seth Low Intermediate School. Bensonhurst was once a rural section of the Dutch colonial town of New Utrecht. In the 1880s, land developer James Lynch bought land from the Benson family, after whom the neighborhood is named, and converted it into an exclusive community which he named Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea. When the area was linked with Manhattan by the Fourth Avenue subway line in 1915, the population rapidly increased. Two- and three-family houses and apartment buildings were built during the 1920s for the growing population of Italians and Jews from the Lower East Side. Following World War II (1939-1945), Bensonhurst continued to grow. It was immortalized in "The Honeymooners," a classic television show set in Bensonhurst that aired from 1952 to 1957.
On December 8, 1924, the City of New York acquired this property by condemnation and built a playground on the site. The playground itself was not officially named, but was referred to as Seth Low Playground by local residents for many years. In 1987, Parks officially changed the name of both the playground and the adjacent square to Seth Low Playground. One year later a new Park house was built in Seth Low Playground.
Erected by NYC Parks.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Government & Politics • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #20 James A. Garfield, and the NYC Parks series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is December 8, 1924.
Location. 40° 36.489′ N, 73° 59.228′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Bensonhurst. It is at the intersection of Bay Parkway and Stillwell Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Bay Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7424 Bay Pkwy, Brooklyn NY 11204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City and on Long Island. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Seth Low Playground (here, next to this marker); Ketchum Triangle (approx. 0.3 miles away); Milestone Park (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Milestone Park (approx. 0.7 miles away); New Utrecht Reformed Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); New Utrecht Liberty Pole (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named New Utrecht Reformed Church (approx. Ύ mile away); The Battle of Brooklyn (approx. Ύ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 23, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 149 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 23, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
