Brower Park

Brower Park
Brower Park
	Brower Park in February 2018
	Location in New York City Location in New York State Location in United States
Type	Urban park
Location	Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, ; New York, United States
Coordinates	40°40′28″N 73°56′38″W / 40.67448°N 73.9439°W
Area	4.5-acre (0.018 km2)
Created	1892
Website	Official website

Brower Park is a municipal park in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York CityAlso Nicknamed “DrenchTopia”. It is located between Brooklyn Avenue to the west and Kingston Avenue to the east, and between St. Marks Avenue to the north and Park Place to the south. The T-shaped park encompasses roughly 4 acres (1.6 ha) and shares a square block with the Brooklyn Children's Museum and P.S. 289 George V Brower.

History

The park, like the elementary school which occupies the same block, was named after George Vanderhoof Brower (c. 1839–1921), the Commissioner of Parks for the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens from 1889 to 1894 and from 1898 to 1901.^[1]^[2] Previously known as Bedford Park, the park was renamed after Brower in 1921.^[3] After serving as an apprentice to a Pennsylvania judge, George Brower moved to Brooklyn in 1867 to practice law. He served as general appraiser of the Port of New York for four years before being appointed as Commissioner of Parks. Brower died in his home, at 1084 Park Place directly southeast of the park, in 1921.^[4]

The City of Brooklyn purchased what is now the southern portion of the park in 1892. A comfort station was erected in the park 1905, and a World War I memorial was dedicated there in 1919. The park was altered in 1936 by the addition of drinking fountains, benches, and a playground. A park improvement scheme in 1939 provided the park with a new grass lawn planted by boy scouts.^[5] These improvements were completed in 1941.^[6] Additional parkland was purchased in 1947. The George V. Brower School (P.S. 289) opened in 1958, and Prospect Place was closed between Brooklyn and Kingston Avenues, bringing together the northern and southern portions of the park. In the 1950s, a new playground and handball courts were constructed. A monarch butterfly garden was built in 2014 with the help of the Friends of Brower Park. The Shirley Chisholm Circle was dedicated in 2016. The paved, circular terrace along Kingston Avenue was named after Shirley Chisholm, an American politician, educator, and author who, in 1968, became the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress.^[7] Chisholm represented New York's 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.^[8]

Facilities

Brower Park has basketball courts, bathrooms, fitness paths, handball courts, a playground, a skate park, and spray showers.

Brower Park Skate Park

The Brower Park skate park opened September 10, 2011, the second concrete skatepark in Brooklyn.^[9] Eric Adams, who was State Senator at the time, approved the skate park.^[9] An organization led by Traci and Jay Johnson rallied for the park to be built.^[9] The park consists of handful of boxes/ledges, and a small ramp.^[9]

Gallery

Brower Park Skatepark - January 2020
Mural in Brower Park - January 2020

References

^ "Obituary: Brower--Mr. George Vanderhoof". Brooklyn Life. Brooklyn NY. October 22, 1921. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ Minutes of the Park Board. New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Parks. 1898. pp. 359–360.
^ "Now Brower Park". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, NY. February 10, 1921. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
^ "Brower Park". 6tocelebrate.org. Six to Celebrate, the Historic Districts Council, New York City. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ "Scout Unit Gets new Lawn for Brower Park". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn NY. May 7, 1939. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ "City Completes Work on New Brower Park". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, NY. October 7, 1941. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ "Shirley Chisholm Circle". nycgovparks.org. New York City Parks. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
^ Freeman, Jo (February 2005). "Shirley Chisholm's 1972 Presidential Campaign". University of Illinois at Chicago Women's History Project. Archived from the original on 2015-01-26.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Scileppi, Tammy (Dec 16, 2011). "A skateboard culture for Crown Heights, Brooklyn".