A quiet tribute stands in Washington Heights. McKenna Square Park a small but significant green space. It sits in the median of West 165th Street. Audubon and Amsterdam Avenues flank it.
This unassuming triangle of land has a story. It’s a story of war and remembrance. It’s a story of transformation from a forgotten street to a peaceful park. McKenna Square Park wasn’t always a park. Before 1917 it was part of Croton Street. This street predated Manhattan’s grid system. Its name possibly evokes the Croton Aqueduct. The aqueduct brought clean water to the city in 1842. Croton Street housed workers’ cottages. Many Irish immigrants lived there in the early 20th century.
The widening of West 165th Street changed everything. The street swallowed Croton Street. The triangular space remained. It became McKenna Square in 1924. The park was named to honor Private William McKenna. McKenna was a local man. He served in an anti-aircraft battalion during World War I. He died in the Battle of the Argonne Forest in 1918. His family lived near Audubon Avenue on West 173rd Street.
The park wasn’t always as we see it today. It underwent redevelopment in 1985. The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development played a crucial role. Today McKenna Square Park boasts a central pavilion. It’s a mix of steel stone and glass block. Rose-colored granite pavers create a winding path. London plane trees provide shade.
Walk the path in McKenna Square Park. Feel the cool granite underfoot. Look up at the mature trees. Remember Private William McKenna. His sacrifice is quietly honored in this little corner of Manhattan. McKenna Square Park is more than just a park. It’s a living memorial a testament to a soldier’s life and a neighborhood’s history. A hidden gem worthy of discovery awaits you.