Over there lies a park that whispers tales of poets and forgotten souls. We are standing at the edge of Joseph Rodman Drake Park. This park is more than just a green space. It is a place where history and nature intertwine.
Joseph Rodman Drake Park was named in 1915. It honors Joseph Rodman Drake a physician and poet. Drake was born in 1795. He died young at the age of twenty-seven.
Drake was a friend of the Hunt family. The Hunt family owned much of this land. The surrounding area is even called Hunts Point after them. As a child, Drake often visited their property. He found inspiration in its beauty.
Drake loved poetry. He even studied it as a young man. Though he later studied medicine he never stopped writing. After his death, his wife published his poems. He is well-known for his poems about the Bronx. Two famous works are “The Culprit Fay” and “The American Flag”. He also co-wrote satirical poems called “the Croaker Papers”.
Joseph Rodman Drake is buried here. This was a place of inspiration for him. He was buried on the Hunt family property. More than 40 other graves are here too. They belong to prominent families who developed this area.
In 1905, there was a plan to destroy the gravesite. Luckily, a literary enthusiast saved it. Ten years later the park was created. The Bronx Society of Arts and Science added a seven-foot marble shaft to Drake’s grave.
This park has another layer of history. It includes a burial ground for enslaved people. These people labored for the families who owned this land. The Hunt, Willet, and Leggett families controlled Hunts Point in the 1700s. They owned both African and Indigenous slaves.
Around 1720, the Hunt family created a cemetery. A few yards away was a burial site for enslaved people. New York City had a large enslaved population then. Hunts Point was part of Westchester County. Both had many large plantations.
The enslaved people’s cemetery was forgotten for years. Headstones were lost or buried. About ten years ago, Philip Pamaritis found an old image of the site. It was in the Museum of the City of New York’s database.
Pamaritis researched the site. He called for its recognition. Local schoolchildren from P.S. 48 helped with an archaeological study. In 2021, the park was renamed. It is now Joseph Rodman Drake Park and Enslaved People’s Burial Ground.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the park as a landmark. This protects the grave markers. It also allows for archaeological research. The designation ensures the burial ground is preserved.
The park now honors all who are buried here. It remembers Joseph Rodman Drake the poet. It also remembers the enslaved people whose stories were forgotten.
Take a moment to reflect on this history. Joseph Rodman Drake Park is a place of remembrance. It is a place of learning. It is a place where the past comes alive.