Frank Principe Park

Maurice Ave., 63 St. bet. 54 Ave. and Borden Ave.

Queens

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

This park honors the community leader Frank Principe (1909-2004), who worked for the creation of this park in the 1930s and staunchly fought for its well being throughout the remainder of his life.

A native of Brooklyn’s East New York, Mr. Principe attended Manual Training High School and graduated Cornell University’s School of Civil Engineering in 1931. The young engineer sought to build housing in Maspeth Queens, and also recognized that the burgeoning neighborhood needed a park. Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) supported turning a water pumping station here in to a park, but Principe needed to lobby the Board of Estimate and the Borough President as well. On June 1, 1940 this officially became Maurice Park, after James Maurice (1814-1884), a U.S. Congressman from Maspeth.

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