Looking to get better insight on what Staten Island parks have to offer? Here you will find information on what types of parks exist on Staten Island as well as some background on the history of each park. Additionally, we will highlight some of the amenities and events each has to offer. Staten Island is known as the "Borough of Parks" as it features the highest concentration of New York City Parkland of the five boroughs that make up New York City. The information on local parks is part of Prodigy Real Estate's ongoing commitment to give the most comprehensive  information about Staten Island and its amazing features.

.conferance_house_park_realestatesiny_400Photo© Conferance House Park, Tottenville Staten Island

Barrett Triangle is a small triangular island bordered by Richmond Terrace, Bay Street, and Borough Place in the St. George neighborhood. It is home to the Major Clarence T. Barrett Memorial, along with some benches and a drinking fountain, which is no longer usable due to the relocation of the memorial.

 The Barrett family was one of the most prominent families on Staten Island. Major Barrett studied landscape architecture until the Civil War began when he enlisted for voluntary military duty. He worked his way up the ranks and became Major after the Union siege of Mobile, Alabama. He was also involved in the battle at Richmond, Virginia, which marked the end of the War. After the War, he returned to Staten Island to continue his work in landscape…

2680 Views, 0 Comments

Many centuries ago, it was very difficult to show your faith in a different religion, as the prominent religion was Roman Catholicism. Throughout Europe it was especially so, and in France there were many Wars of Religion which LaTourette Golf Course in Winterbroke out. These wars began on August 23, 1572, a day which later came to be known as the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. On this day, Roman Catholic leaders had 3,000 men, women and children slaughtered in just three days for the sole fact that they were Protestants. The wars lasted until the end of the century, at which point Henry IV, a Huguenot himself, issued the Edict of Nantes, a law which granted Huguenots civil rights. On May 14, 1610, Henry IV was assassinated and the Protestants again feared for their lives.

By 1643,…

6040 Views, 1 Comments

By the end of the nineteenth century, golf courses were becoming popular in New York City. This led to the creation of many country clubs during the first third of the twentieth century. During the late 1920s, the Mayflower Country Club was established. With the designs of respected architect Alfred T. Hull, the privately-owned country club had a 147-acre golf course constructed in 1928 on Staten Island's south shore.

south_shore_cc_572

The Mayflower Country Club had many plans for recreational facilities, including tennis courts and an indoor swimming pool, but the stock market crash of 1929 prevented these plans from seeing fruition.  By the middle of 1930, however, Frank B. Sterner & Co. began to construct the country club's clubhouse at a price of roughly $200,000.…

3419 Views, 0 Comments

Staten Island was very popular during the nineteenth century for two reasons: its arable land and its summer resorts. People would often swim and fish in the Island's various bodies of water. During the winter, residents would harvest ice from these ponds and lakes. One of the most popular bodies of water was Fresh Pond. This pond was often used for the above recreational activities, as well as for boating and ice skating. By 1850, the names "Fresh Pond" and "Silver Lake" were interchangeably used when referring to the lake. By 1860, locals finally began to refer to the park as solely "Silver Lake".


At the turn of the century, the population of Staten Island began to grow, and more houses were beginning to be built in place of the hotels that…

2510 Views, 0 Comments

Every town has a tale to tell.  Looking at all of the towns Staten Island is made up of, you can probably guess that Staten Island has many tales to tell. You'd be right.  One of these tales circulates along the waters of Brady's Pond, in thGrasmere Lake?Brady's Ponde Grasmere section, is the only freshwater pond on Staten Island that has been deemed suitable for swimming. Prior to this, however, Brady's Pond was popular for another reason-it was believed to be haunted. In fact, it was not a pond at all and went by a completely different name at the time: Haunted Swamp.

See Grasmere homes for sale

At some point in the early nineteenth century, a murder was committed by the edge of the pond. This led to the claim of the pond being haunted. During the 1880s, the owner of the…

9299 Views, 0 Comments

Sailor Snug Harbor, Staten Island SignIn 1756, the Marine Society of New York was formed. Captain Thomas Randall, a philanthropic seafarer became a member of the society, which served as a charitable organization for seamen. His prominence in the society and as a sea captain led to his son, Robert Richard Randall, getting involved in the Marine Society. In fact, he was so strongly involved that when he died in 1801, he requested in his will that after much of his money was divided and given to inheritors, the rest would be used to build a facility on his estate to be used "for the purpose of maintaining and supporting aged, decrepit and worn-out sailors."

In 1833, Randall's dream saw fruition, as Sailors' Snug Harbor opened for the purpose stated in his will. For years, the asylum…

4707 Views, 0 Comments

Seguine Mansion

In 1598, the Edict of Nantes was issued in France by King Henry IV, granting the Protestants, or Huguenots, freedom and civil rights. In 1685, this edict was revoked by King Louis XIV. At this time, he issued the Edict on Flontainbleau, which made Protestantism illegal. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled France to find a new residence. King Louis XIV was the monarch of New France, as well, which consisted of many of the mid-eastern states in North America, as well as much of Canada. Due to this, the Huguenots were banned from settlings there and instead settled in the Dutch New Netherland, which was encompassed by the western states of America.

In 1706, a census was taken of Staten Island's inhabitants. At this time,…

27510 Views, 0 Comments

Alice Austen House, Staten Island NYDuring the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century, a single-room, half-timbered Dutch Colonial home was built at 2 Hylan Boulevard. From its construction up until 1775, many additions were made to the house. Between the years of 1725 and 1750, a second room was added to the house. During the years between 1750 and 1775, another addition was made to the house, giving it an L-shape.

On maps from the early 1800's, various structures were shown as being on the property. In 1844, John Haggerty Austen purchased the home. Many repairs and renovations were made to the house, including the demolition of the structures not attached to the house. The years between 1844 and 1878 saw the addition of another room, a porch, and a projecting bay…

4067 Views, 0 Comments

In 1896, Midland Beach opened to the public. At the time, a trolley would leave Richmond Road to take you to the beach.  People from Manhattan and New Jersey would often come to the beach in boats which ran directly from said places.  While the main attractions were sunbathing and swimming, Midland Beach had many other features which resulted in it being a very popular summer resort.  Hotels populated most of the area, where people could enjoy Midland Beach's casino, live concerts, vaudeville acts, free movies and connected with the South Beach boardwalk and piers. During the 1920's, many fires broke out, destroying what was once a wonderful summer resort.  In 1935, the two-and-a-half-mile Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk was built in place of the…

5781 Views, 0 Comments

The word "clove" is an Anglicization of the Dutch word "kloven", which translates to "cleft" in English.  Clove Lakes Park was named for the valley and brook which were formed in what is now known as the neighborhood Sunnyside, between Emerson Hill and Grymes Hill.  During the late 1600's and mid-1800's, many dams were built along the brook, forming the various bodies of water within the park. (Photo below © the bridge at Clove Lake)

 Bridge at Clove Lake Park, Staten Island

On September 1, 1923, the city of New York acquired the now nearly 200-acre area of Clove Lakes Park, which at the time had been occupied by four old barns.  The construction of the park, which is surrounded mainly by Slosson Avenue, Victory Boulevard, and Clove Road, began in the 1930's with the addition of what is…

8396 Views, 0 Comments