“Did you know that this playground is named after a famous physician, scientist, and statesman?” I ask. Welcome to Cadwallader Colden Playground. It’s a place where history and play intertwine.
Cadwallader Colden was born in Ireland in 1688. His mother was visiting at the time. He grew up in Duns, Scotland. His father was a Presbyterian minister. Colden initially followed in his father’s footsteps. He enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to become a minister. But young Cadwallader became interested in the sciences. He drifted away from the ministry. He graduated in 1705 and went to London to study medicine.
In 1710, Colden moved to Pennsylvania. He settled in Philadelphia. He became a doctor and a merchant. Robert Hunter, the colonial Governor of New York, promised him a position. Colden came to New York City in 1718. Two years later, he was appointed Master in Chancery and Surveyor General of New York. In 1721, Governor William Burnett appointed Colden to the Governor’s Council. This was an advisory board of elite society members. Colden published a famous work on the Iroquois in 1727. It was titled The History of the Five Indian Nations Depending on the Province of New York.
Colden was a powerful man in New York for nearly 15 years. Between 1760 and 1775, he served as president of the Governor’s Council. He was also Lieutenant Governor and acting Governor. But Colden was politically naive. In 1760, he angered colonists. He declared that colonial judges served at “the pleasure of the king”. This was different from the colonial custom of “on good behavior”.
In 1761, Colden impulsively restrained trade. This was between New York and the French West Indies. It led to protests. The Stamp Act Crisis of 1765 showed Colden’s political ineptitude. He stood firm behind the British. This was despite opposition to the Stamp Act. A New York City mob hanged him in effigy in October 1765. They burned his coach and sleigh. Colden returned the stamps to Britain due to public pressure. He continued as acting Governor. But he couldn’t control events. The American Revolutionary War broke out in 1775. It forced him out of his governorship. Colden died on his Long Island estate in September 1776. This was one month after the Battle of Brooklyn.
Colden was a better scientist than statesman. He was a pioneer in biology, botany, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. He studied cancer, yellow fever, smallpox, and climate’s effect on disease. He classified local species using the Linnaean system. Carolus Linnaeus published this classification in 1749. In 1751, Colden critiqued Isaac Newton’s work. His critique was titled The Principles of Action in Matter.
In March 1951, Parks acquired this land. It became a public park and playground. Three years later, it opened as P.S. 214 Playground. Parks and the Board of Education jointly operated it. In 1986, Commissioner Stern renamed it Union Street Playground. One year later, he changed the name again. It became Cadwallader Colden Playground.
In 2001, the playground had a $1.2 million renovation. City Council Member Julia Harrison funded it. The baseball diamond, basketball court, and playground were repaved. New play equipment, swings, a spray shower, and fencing were installed. Trees, shrubs, and ground cover were planted. Decorative oak leaf and animal art were added. Cadwallader Colden Playground stands as a testament to history and recreation. It all blends into one vibrant space.