Seward Park

1898 - present

Seward Park traces its origins to the Outdoor Recreation League, founded in 1898 by social reformers Lillian Wald and Charles Stover, who believed that immigrant families living in overcrowded tenement houses needed access to fresh air and outdoor exercise. In 1903, the City of New York officially took over the administration of the site, establishing Seward Park as the nation’s first municipally built playground. At its opening, the park featured a running track, open play areas, a public bathhouse, and a children's farm garden. It also has a playground in the northern part of the park, with a recreation pavilion, and gymnastic equipment. The facilities later became the model for playground programming in the city. In 1909, Andrew Carnegie financed the construction of the Seward Park Library, a branch of the New York Public Library, located in the southeast corner of the park.

may pole in Seward park
Seward park
Seward Park
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Details

Categories
Library, Playground
Audience
All Ages
Founder(s)
Lillian D. Wald and Charles B. Stover
Corporate Body
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
Tags
Multipleuses, Sports, exercise, play, public

Location

  • Canal St and, Essex St, New York, NY 10002
    ? - ?

References

  1. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. “Seward Park Highlights”, accessed April 25, 2025, https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/seward-park/history.
  2. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. “1903 New York City Parks Department Annual Report”, accessed April 25, 2025, https://www.nycgovparks.org/news/reports/archive.
  3. New York Public Library. “History of the Seward Park Branch”, accessed April 25, 2025, https://www.nypl.org/locations/seward-park.