Over eighty-five acres make up this recreational oasis. This is Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn. Let’s explore its history and what makes it special.
Calvert Vaux Park wasn’t always its name. It was created in 1934. Back then it was called Dreier Offerman Park. The park consisted of disconnected sections along the Belt Parkway.
The park sits on a peninsula. It faces southwest into Gravesend Bay. It is just north of Coney Island Creek. In the 1960s, the park grew. Waste from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge construction expanded it. In 1998, it was renamed Calvert Vaux Park. The namesake was architect Calvert Vaux. He co-designed Central Park and Prospect Park.
Calvert Vaux met a tragic end. He was last seen alive in Bath Beach in 1895. His body was later discovered in Gravesend Bay.
Let’s walk through the park’s different sections. Near the Belt Parkway and Cropsey Avenue is a playground. This was the original Dreier Offerman Park. Here, children’s laughter fills the air. There are play structures, bocce courts, and basketball courts.
Across the Belt Parkway lies the main part of Calvert Vaux Park. This includes a peninsula and Six Diamonds. Calvert Vaux Cove separates them. On the peninsula are baseball diamonds and soccer fields. The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway bike path runs along here.
Six Diamonds has six more baseball diamonds. These overlap with two football fields. Coney Island Creek borders the peninsula and Six Diamonds. It holds a boat graveyard with over two dozen ships. Many date back to the 1960s expansion.
The area was once envisioned as a harbor within Gravesend Bay. The park began with the Cropsey Avenue playground. It was named after the Dreier Offerman Home for Unwed Mothers. The home donated land when it closed in 1933.
The Dreier and Offerman families donated to the park’s construction. Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia opened the Dreier Offerman Playground in 1934. He said it took five years to acquire the land. Robert Moses pushed for construction to start quickly.
Dreier Offerman Park grew in 1944. Another expansion was funded in 1960. The city needed to buy at least 25 acres for each park funded by the bond act. So, the city expanded Dreier Offerman Park by 72 acres. This land came from landfill from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge construction. Much of the area was previously underwater.
The dumping permit ended in 1972. Architecture students were hired to redesign the park. Illegal dumping was still happening. Abandoned cars sat among wildflowers. These redesign plans were never fully realized due to lack of funds. Part of the landfill was sold to a developer in 1984. By the 1990s, the park was full of weeds and garbage.
In 1990, plans arose for a boat launch and amphitheater. A fire in 1994 damaged a storage trailer used by a youth program. By 1997, the park had five soccer fields. Teams had to maintain fields to use them. A cleanup project took place in 1995.
A golf facility was proposed in 1997. It would include a driving range, miniature golf, and a roller rink. This faced opposition. People saw it as privatizing public parkland.
The park was renamed Calvert Vaux Park in 1998. The playground was renovated in 2000. New courts and play areas were added. In 2007, a 40 million dollar restoration was announced. This included baseball fields, soccer fields, picnic areas, and a bike path. The first two new soccer fields were completed in 2008. A waterfront habitat for water birds was completed in 2013.
Calvert Vaux Park has faced some unusual incidents. In 2006, a small plane made an emergency landing in the park. In 2013, a man died while flying his motorized helicopter. It struck him in the head.
Calvert Vaux Park continues to evolve. It offers a space for recreation and relaxation. It is a testament to the city’s commitment to green spaces. Today, Calvert Vaux Park stands as a vibrant part of the Brooklyn community. It is a place where history and recreation meet.