Sara D. Roosevelt Park

September 14, 1934 - present

Sara. D. Roosevelt Park was opened on September 14th, 1934. It was named after President Franklin D. Roosevelt's mother, Sara. The opening ceremony for the park was broadcast on radio stations along the Eastern United States, from Virginia to Maine. Initially, the city had planned to build low income housing on the site of the park, but found it "ill-suited" for housing and decided to instead use the space for "playgrounds and resting places for mothers and children". There were separate playgrounds for boys and girls. The first iteration of Roosevelt park had wading pools, recreation buildings and spaces for concerts. The Parks Department established sports leagues for children and teenagers. A1934 press release from the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation shows schedules for various track and field events for boys and girls.

Photo of Opening Ceremonies at Roosevelt Park
View Gallery

Details

Category
Playground
Instructional Level
Elementary/Grammar School, Middle/Junior High School
Audience
All Ages
Tags
childdevelopment, athletics, Parksdepartment, recreation, entertainment, informaleducation

Location

  • Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Chrystie St &, Forsyth St, New York, NY 10002, USA
    1934 - present

Archival Collections

References

  1. Historical reports, press releases, and minutes : NYC parks. (1934). Retrieved April 21, 2023, from https://www.nycgovparks.org/news/reports/archive