Lower Highland Park Highland Park as it was laid out before 1900 was just what we call the "Upper Park" today. Lower Highland Park still had farmhouses on it as late as 1908, with the Schenck house lasting into the 1950s. Click on thumbnails to enlarge
Did you know? - During the depression New York City used to bring portable theaters to the parks to put on shows? July 9, 1934 New York Times article on roving theaters Note: This link is a pdf file that opens in a new window and requires Adobe Acrobat
		Ridgewood Water Works and Highland Park Playground Dated:1915 Maker: Unk Status: Need We've misidentified some early postcards that this shot helped to clarify. Note the lack of trees along Highland Boulevard where it comes down to Jamaica Ave. Some other interesting elements; The YMCA is not there yet, that is the Rapelye House sitting on that corner. There are trees sitting in the "outfield" of the ballfield. Many thanks to fellow Brooklyn collector Ike for that scan. The shot on the right is from 2005 looking north from Jamaica.
		Snake Hill, East New York Dated:Unk Maker:Commecial Art Post Card Co. Status: Own(BG) A similar view, a little different angle, and it raises the question: what are those poles lining Highland Boulevard?. On the right is the last eastern strip of the park before the cemeteries shot by Neil Sullivan in 2006. It appears to be used as a dirt bike trail now.
		Two shots on the far side of the park near Snake Hill and the cemetery. Peggy Solazzo sends in this shot of her folks, Lorraine and Dom Solazzo in 1948. Tim O'Reilly sent in this shot of his mother, also around 1948.
		"Montford House" One thing I enjoy is discovering poorly identified photos and getting the facts. This image from the BPL collection was only identified as "Montford House". I could easily recognize the park and have determined that the house was Abraham Snediker's. Snedikers farm encompassed all of Highland Park east of Cleveland Street, the reservoirs, and the cemeteries to Cypress Hills Road. The house passed to Washington Colyer, his son-in-aw, and then to A.W. Monfort, who was actually the milkman for the area. The house was part of the land purchase for Highland Park and was removed in 1908. It sat pretty close to where the current entrance is now, pictured in 2005.
		Mike Abney sent in this shot of his parents near the entrance in 1977.
The Playground It appears the Playground as we know it was opened Sept. 1, 1935 Sept. 1, 1935 NY Times article on new playgrounds in New York.
		Scene at the Playground, Highland Park, East New York Dated:1917 Maker:Commercial Art Co. Status: Own(BG) I've posted a better scan of the old card. You can see the outlines of clay tennis courts on the right. The pavilion in the background was originally a clubhouse for those in the tennis club. Eventually it was converted to a park pavilion, with restrooms, first aid, and a concession stand. It is no longer standing, my relatives confirmed it was still there in the 1950s.
		Monkey Bars Couldn't possibly have a shot of HP without the monkey bars.These family photos are from 1962 and 1967. Of course they weren't always safe; check out Jeanne Loriol's story. .
		Monkey Bars, 1975 Cathy (Russell) DiBenedetto sent over a bunch of playground shot from April 1975. On the left, going clockwise from the top left is JoAnne Russell, Richard Russell, Jennifer Russell and an identified girl
		Kiddie swings From Cathy's shots, a view of the kiddie swings with Susan and Richard Russell, her cousins. Note the spikes atop the wrought iron fence which surrounded the playground; if you look at the 2005 photo you will note they have been all sawed down.
		The 1956 shot on the left is memorable because you can see the Stootholf House in the background; see Linwood Street for more. That's Mary Cornell, our unofficial historian, on the right. Elsie Anzalone sends over a 1960 shot with her daughter; great glasses!
		A great pair of shots of the original kiddie swings from Elise (Avella) Feiner. Pictured in 1943 are Edith Mainella with her two sons Warren and Joe, and they don't look too thrilled in that shot, but Joe seems pretty happy in the closeup where we can see the original swings were wooden.
		Tony Davenport sent over this early 1960s photo of him on the slide and we both recall as kids that we referred to it as a "sliding pond". Does anyone know the history of that term? On the right, from Cathy's 1975 shots, thats Susan, unidentified, Jennifer, Joanne and Richard Russell top to bottom.
		Cathy's collection included these shots of the 4 smaller children hanging from the parallel bars, and in the background of the second slide shot, the overhead bars (anyone know the name of it?) All I can recall is my hands would burn after getting from end to the other!
		The shot on the right is of my cousin John in 1969 after they installed these colored cubes; I still don't know if it had a name. Though I had outgrown it at that point, I also couldn't help but notice the dirty puddles of water that filled it whenever it rained. This is no longer standing. About that time they also installed rubber mats. That's brother Gary on the left in the 1972 shot.
		From the David Hays collection, a shot of the swings from 1967. Tim O'Reilly sent this 1961 shot but we're still debating the location; he theorizes it is across from the monkey bars, but I believe you can see the parkhouse in the background and they are sitting near the entrance.
		I finally found a seesaw shot, vintage 1972. Tim O'Reilly sent this 1990 shot of the park showing a view of an entrance on the eastern side of the playground which didn't exist in our day.

		Water foutains; Linda Feiling sent this 1953 shot of herself and on the right is a contribution from Tony Davenport at the water fountain, with his brother in the carraige.
		Uh, Tony, did you wipe that fountain? That's "Lance" in a 1952 photo, and a little bigger in the 1955 photo with Tony Marmo on the path heading towards the upper park.
		Ice skating was a popular early entertainment at Highland Park. In the early years they would flood the area where the ballfileds now sit to form a rink. On the right is shot sent by June Marmo of herself in 1946; the fields are behind her and there appears to be some form of scoreboard.
		The Oval in Highland Park was used for many purposes. In the photo on the left, the oval was the center of a 50th anniversary celebration of Brooklyn's annexation to the city. The Oval had sprinklers to create a pool in the summer and a rink in the winter. Check out Rod Maggio's hilarious story, then see below for another fond memory of the oval.
	>	May Party in Highland Park, East New York Dated:1915 Maker: Commercial Art Post Card Co. Status: Have(BG) Every school kid remembers the maypole celebrations at Highland Park. They apparently have a long history, as the postcard on the left is from 1915. The photo on the right is from 1967.
		May Pole Dance, 1972 I managed to uncover some better shots, see below for the actual Maypole dance.
		May Pole Dance It turns out I did have a photo, from the 1971 performance, of the Maypole. It was performed by the senior class. On the right, Mike Abney supplied a pic circa 1976.
		A couple of new photos as we move to the left of the main entrance. When we grew up the basketball courts were here, but now another playground sits in this area. The statue in the park entitled "Dawn of Glory" commemorates WWI heroes. It was dedicated July 12, 1924.
		Tennis Courts The shot on the left shows the original courts dating to the 1920s. On the right is a still from 8mm footage shot in the early 70s. Click the video button to watch.
		Tennis Courts 1967 Tennis was pretty big up at the park in the late 1960s. The park used to host some major youth tennis events, as seen in this 1967 photo. That's my cousins posing by the courts in 1967 on the left.
		Thanks to Gina Liccardo, who permitted us to borrow this image from her website. It is her mother performing with a band on the courts in the mid 1970s. Gina's family lived on Jerome Street and her brother attended PS 108 with my brother Lou. Gina offers both dance and massage therapy sessions through her website Letherapy. I added a 2007 view looking down at the courts.
		Thanks to Art Pirozzi, I have cleared up two mysteries. Art helped me track down the original development plans for the park in 1935. Those empty areas on either side of the handball courts, pictured on the right in 2008, were for horseshoe pits. The plans also confirmed the handball courts were built as part of the 1935 development of the lower park. I used to play a lot up there with my best friend Carl. It turns out his Dad and his uncle were both terrific players in their day, and Carl relayed a story about his uncle and the early days of these courts.
		A rare shot behind the handball courts, circa 1968. That's Pat (Tromba) Werner in the tree and Elise (Avella) Feiner who sent in the shot. Although it was steep behind the courts, we used it in a pinch for baseball practice when we were shorthanded because the wall made a good backstop.
		From the 2007 update shot it appears the clay courts have been abandoned. On the right, a view east of the cobblestone paths which separated the tennis courts, the bocci courts and the handball courts. That's my brother Gary in this 1972 view.
		Schenck Homestead The Schenck family had a farm on part of the land where HP resides, and though it changed hands a few times, the house survived even after it became a public park. The location was near Ashford St on Jamaica Ave. The first photo is from an undated postcard. The second photo is from 1923. There is a seperate page devoted to the Schenck House here.
		Bocci Ball Courts One of the things that replaced the homestead was the bocci ball courts. The photo on the left is from 1963; when we were kids we used the courts for playing "running bases", a baseball rundown game. Oddly, I recall the italian men playing bocci all around the area near the courts, but not on them!. Chess tables were also in this area. Note in the 2005 photo the railings and water fountain are gone.
		Children's Gardens I always assumed the children's garden appeared after the Schenck house was removed. However, there is mention of the gardens in a June 1923 Times article. Art Pirozzi found out for us that the garden was opened in 1916 and it was the third one opened in a New York park. The photo on the left is undated, though I believe it is from the '40's. My brother , as a P.S. 108 student, did some work in these gardens in the 60's.
		The best sledding in Brooklyn, period. The older kids went all the way to the top and if you didn't get thrown off when you hit "the Hump", with enough speed you cross the ballfields and make the last dip to the fence before Jamaica Avenue. A long trek back too. I remember one year kids dragged a car hood up the hill and about eight of them came spinning down, though they didn't get very far. I've upgraded the original shots with these from 1972, with a view towards the top and the view down.
		More sledding pics; my cousins in 1966, and Mike Abney supplies a shot from 1978. Peter Murray relays a sledding story from earlier days.
		Ballfields and YMCA When the snow was gone, of course we had the ballfields. In Cynthia Rongione's shot on the left, circa 1962, Cynthia is standing with her dad right by the hump alluded to in the sledding photos. In fact, Cynthia supplies her own story about her mother and that dangerous hump! On the right, June Marmo's husband Tony owes us an explanation. In that 1953 photo he's either very lost carrying a golfclub or he's getting ready for an early version of "West Side Story"!.
		Now we see what Tony was up to; giving golf lessons to the ladies! You can spot the YMCA water tower in the background. I included the odd second shot of Tony with pal Don Irick more to show the ballfield in the background. Both shots are circa June 1953 courtesy of June Marmo of course.
		A couple of shots across the ballfields from Mike Abney, with my brother Gary in 1977 and by himself in 1978.
		You don't find many cowboys in Highland Park, Robert Iannotta's 1960 shot of himself appears to be taken behind the oval towards the ballfields. Felix Orengo's 1965 sledding pic appears to be taken from the same location.
		Highland Park, 1939 and 1948 June Marmo now has our earliest Highland Park family photo contribution; that first photo is June in 1939. Note the young trees in the background.
		Highland Park, 1949. On the left, from Dan Bivona, a shot of Dan and his parents in 1949. On the right, a contribution from Joe Sadauskas circa 1949.
	Warwick St. Entrance, 2005 Swinging all the way back to the west, this strip of the park on the left was used by us for baseball. The path into the park used to be cobblestone and we would lift a few stones for bases. You batted "uphill" and fielding grounders was a challenge as a huge rut ran down the center of the field caused by water runoff. Throws home were also an adventure as it was all downhill and errant throws could bounce all the way to Jamaica Ave. The path into Sunnyside had a wrought iron fence which made for a perfect home run fence. If we didn't have enough guys it was a good space for "Flies Up". Later on we used the space for 2 of our "Olympic" field events; the "Bocci Ball Toss" and the "Broomstick Throw".
		Some underexposed photos from 1973 showing the steps leading up to the Upper park from the west side, and the view from the top.

Lower Highland Park

Highland Park as it was laid out before 1900 was just what we call the "Upper Park" today. Lower Highland Park still had farmhouses on it as late as 1908, with the Schenck house lasting into the 1950s. Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Highland Park as it was laid out before 1900 was just what we call the "Upper Park" today. Lower Highland Park still had farmhouses on it as late as 1908, with the Schenck house lasting into the 1950s.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge