Did you know Centreville Playground’s name holds a fascinating secret? This isn’t just any playground. It’s a living memorial to a bygone era. Right here in Ozone Park the playground stands as a testament to the Centerville Racetrack. This racetrack thrived between 1825 and 1899. It was a major player in New York City’s “Golden Age” of horseracing. Imagine the excitement. Fifty thousand people flocked to the Union Course racetrack. They wagered a staggering $200,000 on races. That was an enormous sum back then.
Centreville Playground occupies land where the Centerville Racetrack once stood. The track’s original name was Eclipse Course. It was renamed Centerville during a tough time. The hope was to attract more people by positioning the track as the center of town. That plan didn’t work. The racetrack closed in 1899. Its land was divided into building lots. The legacy of the Centerville Racetrack however lives on in this very playground.
The area around Centreville Playground transformed significantly over time. In the 1880s music publisher Benjamin W. Hitchcock developed Ozone Park. He marketed the area for its fresh breezes from Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic. The name “ozone” then connoted pleasant breezes. It was very different from its association with pollution today.
Centreville Playground itself wasn’t always here. In 1957 the Parks department acquired this site. It became known as Ozone Park Civic Playground. Then in May 2000 a major renovation took place. New equipment and safety surfacing were added. The spray shower and baseball field were also updated. Today Centreville Playground offers a place for recreation. It also keeps alive the history of recreation from over a century ago. The playground serves as a remarkable reminder of Ozone Park’s vibrant past its connection to the thrilling world of 19th-century horseracing and its transformation into a thriving residential community. So next time you’re here enjoy the swings. Remember the legacy of Centreville Racetrack.