James J. Walker Park facts for kids
James J. Walker Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. This park is about 2 acres (or 0.8 hectares) in size. It is surrounded by Varick Street, the St. Luke's Place section of Leroy Street, Hudson Street, and Clarkson Street.
The park offers many things to do. You can find a baseball field, bocce courts, and playgrounds. There are also bathrooms, handball courts, and Wi-Fi hotspots. A special memorial in the park honors two firefighters who passed away.
Next to the park is the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center. This center was named after Anthony V. Dapolito. He was known as the "Mayor of Greenwich Village" and was a long-time leader of Community Board 2.
Park History
The land where James J. Walker Park now stands was once a cemetery. It was called the St. John's Burying Ground. This cemetery belonged to St. John's Chapel, which was part of Trinity Church. People were buried there from 1799 to 1858. More than 10,000 people were laid to rest in this spot.
In 1888, a New York politician named William H. Walker first suggested making a park here. By 1890, he helped pass a law to turn the cemetery into a park. The city's parks department bought the land in 1895. Most of the people buried there were not moved.
The park was designed by the famous architectural firm of Carrere & Hastings. It was first called "St. John's Park." This name was also used for an older park about a mile south on Hudson Street. The park was renamed "Hudson Park" in 1896. Finally, in 1947, it became "James J. Walker Park." It was named after former mayor Jimmy Walker. His family had moved to a home near the park in 1886.
The park has been updated a few times over the years. It was renovated in 1972 and again in 1996.
Gallery
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Park sign
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Firemen's Memorial (1834),
a marble sarcophagus commemorating two men of Eagle Fire Company #13 who died on their first day of duty when a building fell on them. -
Plaque in front of the Fireman's Memorial, which reads:
"This ground was used as a cemetery in Trinity Parish during the years 1834-1898. It was made a public park by the City of New York in the year 1897-8. This monument stood in the cemetery and was removed to this spot in the year 1898." -
St. John's Burial Ground in 1854.
The handwritten note on the one house in the blank area between Clarkson, Leroy and Hudson Streets says "E.A. Poe 113 1/2"
