Arbutus Woods Park

Deep in the heart of Staten Island, nestled amidst the urban sprawl, lies Arbutus Woods Park. A tranquil oasis, Arbutus Woods Park holds a secret history tied to the struggles and triumphs of the Great Depression. During that era of hardship, President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated the Works Progress Administration, or WPA. This program aimed to provide employment for millions of Americans struggling through the economic crisis. Arbutus Woods Park became one of the many projects undertaken by the WPA on Staten Island. Almost 19,000 New Yorkers found work through this initiative, transforming the landscape of the island. At Arbutus Woods Park, WPA workers constructed sidewalks, envisioning a future network of roads weaving through the wooded area. These roads, however, were never fully realized. Yet, the sidewalks remain, a testament to the hard work and dedication of those who labored during the Depression. These paths wind through the park, inviting visitors to explore the tranquil woods and reflect on this unique chapter in Arbutus Woods Park’s history. Interestingly, traces of the unfinished roadbeds for Eyelandt and Collins Avenues can still be found near the park. These remnants offer a glimpse into the original plans for the area and serve as a tangible link to the past. Arbutus Woods Park also bears the ghostly presence of a lost treasure. The trailing arbutus, a delicate plant with fragrant white or pink flowers, once thrived in the sandy clearings of Staten Island. This plant, known for its trailing woody stems and leathery green oval leaves, bloomed in Arbutus Woods Park during the spring months. Sadly, overharvesting by local residents, who prized the arbutus as a salad vegetable, led to its extinction on the island by the 1940s. Botanists still hold out hope, searching the park’s undergrowth for any sign of the trailing arbutus’s return. As you walk the quiet paths of Arbutus Woods Park, imagine the echoes of the WPA workers and the sweet scent of the lost arbutus, a blend of human endeavor and natural beauty woven into the fabric of this hidden gem.