Harvey Park

Overlooking the Whitestone Expressway, Harvey Park sits in a curious bowl-shaped depression. Could this dip in the landscape hint at a forgotten pond or creek? Harvey Park, officially known as George U. Harvey Playground, spans over nine acres. It’s more than just swings and slides. Behind the playground at Harvey Park, you’ll find a softball field and a roller hockey rink. Trees line the edges, giving it a natural feel. George Upton Harvey, the park’s namesake, served as Queens Borough President from 1929 to 1941. He was a World War I veteran and a staunch opponent of corruption, communism, and fascism. The park itself became part of the Whitestone Parkway project in 1936. This project, completed in 1939, connected the Whitestone Bridge to Flushing Meadows. Harvey Park also holds a hidden connection to a forgotten figure, Colonel Gustave A. Roullier. He was the engineer who designated the land for the Whitestone pumping station, which predates the park. Roullier, a French immigrant, designed waterworks for several cities. He was a prominent figure in local organizations until his tragic death in 1910. Old maps reveal a pond near the current Harvey Park. This pond was likely connected to Mill Creek. This creek and its surrounding wetlands once separated College Point from the rest of Queens. The area near Harvey Park was later the site of Flushing Airport, from 1927 to 1984. Today, much of that land has returned to its wetland state, with parks and offices along its edges.