Clove Lake

Slipping through time, imagine Staten Island as a quiet, small town. Now, picture Clove Lake in the heart of it all. Clove Lake wasn’t always a park. In 1897, the idea sparked to turn this land into a green escape. It finally bloomed into a full-fledged park in the 1930s. Clove Lake became Staten Island’s first large park, a local gem mirroring the grandeur of Central Park and Prospect Park. The name “Clove” itself comes from the Dutch word “kloven,” meaning cleft, a nod to the valley carved by Clove Brook. This valley, once the estate of colonial governor Thomas Dongan, holds secrets in its dense forests. Imagine the Ordovician period serpentine rock hidden beneath the trees, forming Emerson and Grymes hills. Back in 1887, Clove Lake was just one in a chain of lakes along Clove Brook. The brook’s journey began at a spring near what is now Little Clove Road and Logan Street in Sunnyside. The lake’s edge was a mix of water companies, ice manufacturers, and farms. The vision of Clove Valley becoming Staten Island’s “Central Park” took root thanks to residents like William T. Davis, Charles Leng, and Central Park architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Between 1921 and 1923, the city acquired the valley, making their dream a reality. A curious detail lies hidden beneath the eastern embankment of Clove Lake. A buried tributary of Clove Brook flows from Silver Lake Park, covered by the park’s development in the 1930s and now partly hidden beneath a parking lot. In the middle of Clove Lake sits an unnamed island, connected to the mainland by two stone bridges. Their design echoes the famous Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, a miniature echo within Staten Island. Clove Lake, held back by a dam, transforms into Clove Brook once more. The brook then widens, becoming Martling Lake, bordered by St. Peter’s Cemetery. This cemetery, Staten Island’s oldest Catholic burial ground, opened in 1848. Many of its early inhabitants were Irish immigrants, some escaping the devastating potato famine. The Martling Dam, carrying Martling Avenue over Clove Brook, offers contrasting views. One side reveals a picturesque lake, while the other shows a greenish pool flowing into a ravine. Interestingly, the dedication plaque on the dam acknowledges the Borough President but not the city’s mayor. This hints at Staten Island’s independent spirit. Clove Brook continues its journey north, flowing into Brooks Lake and then underground beyond the park at Forest Avenue. It eventually merges with Palmer’s Run, emptying into the Kill Van Kull at Port Richmond.