Brower Park is a municipal

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

Crown Heights, Brooklyn Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bounded by Washington Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Ralph Avenue to the east, and Empire Boulevard/East New Yo ...

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. 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

encompasses roughly and shares a square block with the

Brooklyn Children's Museum The Brooklyn Children's Museum is a children's museum in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. Founded in 1899, it is the first children's museum in the United States – and according to some, the first one worldwide. It ...

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. Previously known as Bedford Park, the park was renamed after Brower in 1921. 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. 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 Boy Scouts may refer to: * Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement. * Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement. * An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...

. These improvements were completed in 1941. 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 Butterfly gardening is a way to create, improve, and maintain habitat for lepidopterans including butterflies, skippers, and moths. Butterflies have four distinct life stages—egg, larva, chrysalis, and adult. In order to support and sustain ...

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 Anita St. Hill Chisholm (1924–2005), an American politician, educator, and author who, in 1968, became the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented

New York's 12th Congressional District New York's 12th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. As of 2023, it is represented by Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Jerry Nadler, redistricted i ...

for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.

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.

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, who was State Senator at the time, approved the skate park. An organization led by Traci and Jay Johnson rallied for the park to be built. The park consists of handful of boxes/ledges, and a small ramp.

Gallery

File:Brower Park Skatepark.jpg, Brower Park Skatepark - January 2020 File:Mural Brower Park.jpg, Mural in Brower Park - January 2020

References

External links

Brower ParkBrower Park History
{{Protected areas of New York City Parks in Brooklyn Crown Heights, Brooklyn Skateparks in New York City