Bathgate Playground

What was here before?

In the late 18th through late 19th centuries, much of Belmont was occupied by the prominent Lorillard family’s tobacco farm, known as the Belle Mont estate. After the Lorillards moved their farm to New Jersey in 1870, their land was acquired by the city and converted to residential use and nearby Bronx Park. The area’s name was also shortened to Belmont. Construction work opportunities drew Italian immigrants to the area in the late 1800s, and it became known as Bronx’s Little Italy. In addition to many people of Italian descent who remain in the neighborhood, large Latinx and Albanian populations live here today.

How did this site become a playground?

The property was assigned to NYC Parks in 1980 for development as part of the South Bronx Open Space Project. Bathgate Playground underwent a renovation in 1996 and most recently in 2018, which included accessible and ADA-compliant play equipment and activity boards geared towards pre-K children. The playground serves children attending neighboring P.S. 23, The New Children’s School, as well as the greater community.

Who is this playground named for?

This playground gets its name from the Bathgate family, the namesakes of nearby Bathgate Avenue.

The Bathgates were managers of the vast Morris family estate, namesake of Morrisania. They eventually received a portion of the land for themselves. Known at the time as Bathgate Woods, their farm was one of the larger agricultural estates in the Bronx in the 19th century and famous for its scenic vistas, trees, and pond. The City of New York acquired it from Alexander Bathgate in 1888 as part of the effort to consolidate parks in the Bronx. That property eventually became Crotona Park, which is several blocks south of this site.