Captain John McKenna, IV Park

What was here before?
First inhabited by the Canarsie, the area now known as Windsor Terrace was later owned in the nineteenth century by John Vanderbilt of the prominent Dutch farming family. After his death, real estate developer William Bell bought the property in 1849. He named it after Windsor, England. Two years later developer Edward Belknap purchased the property before he defaulted, and it was foreclosed in 1856. 

At the turn of the century the largely rural area started to develop, and around a dozen brick rowhomes and wood-frame single-family houses were built on this property.

How did this site become a park?
The City acquired this land in 1952 as part of the construction of the Prospect Expressway, and this parcel was assigned to Parks in 1960 as the expressway neared completion. Two bocce courts were installed in the 1970s, and a decade later the parks department reconstructed the park into a sitting area.

In 2018, when the park was renamed, Boy Scouts volunteered their time to remove weeds, enhance the site’s greenery, install new benches and a flagpole, and complete sidewalk improvements. Through continued volunteer efforts, this greenspace serves as a tribute to Captain McKenna's civic spirit and dedication to public service. 

Who is this park named for?
The previously unnamed site was named Captain John McKenna, IV Park on September 8, 2018. John McKenna IV was born on March 17, 1976 and grew up two blocks away on East 2nd Street. He attended Immaculate Heart of Mary grammar school and Bishop Ford High School and earned the honor of Eagle Scout in Troop 14. McKenna earned a bachelor's degree in history from Binghamton University.

In 1998, he accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Air Wing, where he served tours in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Captain McKenna was highly decorated, receiving the Silver Star and Purple Heart, among other honors. He became a New York State Trooper in 2005, while continuing service as a reserve officer in the United States Marine Corps.

In February 2006 Captain McKenna’s unit, Company B, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, was called for duty in Iraq. While conducting combat operations in Fallujah on August 16, 2006, the unit came under heavy sniper fire. Lance Corporal Michael Glover was hit and mortally wounded, and Captain McKenna was killed in action while trying to bring the lance corporal to safety.