Washington Park & J.J. Byrne Playground

1934 - present

Park Slope’s Washington Park and its J.J. Byrne playground has a rich history that begins in 1883 with, surprisingly enough, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Before moving their games to the famous Ebbets Field in 1913, the professional baseball team from New York played at two separate Washington Park locations in Park Slope. The first location, between Fourth and Fifth Avenue and Third and Fifth Street, became the site of one of five model playgrounds used by city official Robert Moses and the City Parks Department to begin the New Deal sponsored construction of playgrounds across New York City in the 1930s. When the park opened in 1934, it included handball courts, bocce courts, a wading pool, and a large play area for small children. A recreation building was situated at the center of the park in the recently reconstructed Old Stone House. This historic building, built by Dutch colonists in 1699, is known for being the site of one of New York’s most important Revolutionary War battles, the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. After being demolished in the late 1800s, the building’s foundation was rediscovered in 1930 and Brooklyn borough president James J. Byrne led the way in rebuilding it. The playground was named after Byrne in 1933 and linked to William Alexander Junior High School 51 (today called M.S. 51) in 1951. Though the park’s name was officially changed back to Washington Park in 2008, most locals call this very popular Park Slope destination simply “J.J. Byrne.”

Photo of Old Stone House Reconstruction.
Photo of J.J. Byrne Playground Facilities, 1950s.
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Details

Category
Playground
Audience
All Ages
Tags
historicsite, playgroundmovement, community, athletics, CivilWorksAdministration, renaming, AmericanRevolution, NewDeal Depression

Location

  • Washington Park, 4th St. &, 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA
    ? - ?

References

  1. New York City Department of Parks. “Press Release: Friday, July 27, 1934.” Accessed April 25, 2022. https://kermitproject.org/newdeal/pdf/1934a.html#1934/07/27
  2. The Living New Deal. “JJ Byrne Playground- Brooklyn, NY.” Accessed April 25, 2022. https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/j-j-byrne-playground-brooklyn-ny/
  3. The Old Stone House Website. “About: Old Stone House & Washington Park — historic site and park conservancy.” Accessed April 25, 2022. https://theoldstonehouse.org/about/
  4. New York Streets Website. “Park Slope: 3rd Street.” Accessed on April 25, 2022. https://macaulay.cuny.edu/seminars/wills09/articles/3/r/d/Park_Slope~_3rd_Street_2c09.html