St. Mary's Park

St. Mary's Park. . , What was here before? , This site was once part of the estate of Jonas Bronck (1600-1643), for whom the Bronx is named. During the Revolutionary War, a group of Loyalist military refugees camped here. Years later, the land was held by the family of Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816), one of the authors of the U.S. Constitution. After 1857, the area was known as "Jane's Hill" for owner Adrian Janes of Janes, Kirtland and Co. Iron Works. the local foundry manufactured bridges for Central park, railings for the Brooklyn Bridge, and the 8,909-200-pound dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., How did this site become a playground? , In 1874, New York City annexed parts of the southern Bronx (formerly lower Westchester County). Seeking to create public parks in the Bronx, journalist John Mullaly (1835-1915) founded the New York Park Association in 1881. His efforts culminated in the 1884 New Parks Act and the city's 1888-1890 purchase of lands for Van Cortlandt, Claremont, Crotona, Bronx, St. Mary's, and Pelham Bay Parks and the Mosholu, Pelham and Crotona Parkways., In 1887, Mullaly described the site of St. Mary's Park as "isolated and alone, perfect in itself, its miniature loveliness challenging comparison with the largest and fiarest of its compeers." Adding to nature's design, architects arranged winding paths and roads, benches, fences, trees, shrubs, flowers, and buildings such as a concert stand. In 1903, NYC Parks granted the New York Central Railroad permission to lay tracks underneath the park. The line was eventually abandoned, and the 1.2 acres occupied by the tracks were returned to the park in 1912. Another 0.8 of an acre was added in 1968., The park led the way in the development of recreation programs in the Bronx. The borough's first playground opened in St. Mary's Park in 1914. At this time, the park also had a baseball diamond, two tennis courts, and a children's farm garden., After World War II, NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) inaugurated a citywide recreation program to provide places to play and socialize in cold weather months. New York's first full-service, indoor recreation center opened at St. Mary's in 1951. Designed by the architectural firm of Brown, Lawford, and Forbes, the building housed an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, locker and shower rooms, and meeting rooms for classes and community programs., In 2019, the West Playground was reconstructed with new multigenerational play equipment, a water play spray shower, asphalt pavements with colorful play patterns as well as new sports lighting, basketball courts, an adult fitness equipment., In 2020, under the Anchor Parks Initiative, the first phase of the park's reconstruction was included two ballfields, a dog run, and five entrances. This transformation added new bleachers, fencing, dugouts, clay, and irrigated turf to the ballfields as well as agility feature for both large and small dogs. An accessible pedestrian loop was created, including a picturesque promenade with new security lighting, bench seating, bike racks, planting, and game tables., Who is this playground named for? , St. Mary's Park is named for a Protestant Episcopal church located on 143rd and Willis Avenue built in 1888 in the Queen Anne style.