Flushing Greens

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

Located on an esplanade at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Main Street, Flushing Greens is at the heart of Queens’ Flushing neighborhood. The oldest known street map of the community (published in 1841) depicts this park as an unnamed “public square.” It was not until 1875 when Flushing – then an independent town – formally acquired the parcel that the site was given a proper name: Flushing Park. Renamed Flushing Greens in 1942, the park is one of the oldest in New York City and the oldest in Queens.

From the 1874 to 1947, Flushing Greens was known for its illustrious King Neptune Fountain, a monument to the formation of the Flushing Water Works department. A beloved cast-iron and zinc sculpture, the fountain depicted the Roman sea god, trident in hand, flanked by four mermaids. Fourteen flower urns adorned the rim of the fountain’s base and each spring the urns were filled with fresh bouquets of geraniums and petunias. Local lore has it that NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses commanded workers to stealthily break up and haul away the fountain the middle of the night to be melted into wartime munitions. It its place today stands a bronze and Deer Isle granite memorial to Spanish-American War commander, statesman, and Whitestone-native, Alfred J. Kennedy. The memorial was dedicated in 1950.

A passive greenway along a bustling commercial hub, benches along Flushing Greens offer workers a quiet respite from the hustle of life at the urban core.

Monday, Dec 04, 2017