Christopher J. Igneri Playground

This playground on Schmidts Lane between Manor Road and La Guardia Avenue honors Christopher J. Igneri, a 35-year veteran of NYC Parks who tirelessly supported and motivated children from the surrounding community in his role as Recreation Director.

Born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Igneri moved to South Beach, Staten Island with his family when he was a teenager, and lived in New Dorp before settling in Great Kills. He began his career with NYC Parks in October 1963 assigned to this playground, where he remained until retiring in 1995. During his tenure with the agency, he dedicated his time to helping young men and women, especially low income and at risk youth. As a mentor to children from the neighboring Todt Hill Houses, he encouraged them to engage in character building team sports and extracurricular activities. He also served as a referee and basketball coach for various organizations throughout Staten Island. Christopher J. Igneri passed away in December 2013, but his impact on the surrounding community is long-lasting.

The playground was originally called Todt Hill Houses Playground, emphasizing its link to the housing project.  Commissioner Stern renamed it Toad Hall Playground in 1997, echoing both the former name and the place in Kenneth Graeme’s 1908 children’s classic The Wind in the Willows.

From the 1600s to the end of the American Revolution, Todt Hill was known by the Dutch name Yserberg (Iron Mount) for its exceptional iron resources.  Evidence of iron mining on Todt Hill dates to 1644, but it is known that intensive mining took place between 1832 and 1881.  Business boomed in 1865 when iron ore was discovered in the serpentine rock that stretches from the Kill Van Kull to Fresh Kills.  Because the iron lay close to the surface, it could be extracted with relative ease.  By 1881, more abundant sources had been found in the west, and mining activity on Staten Island slowed. 

The site has been commonly known as Todt Hill since the Revolution. Todt is a variant of the Dutch word for death, referring to the Dutch and Native American burial grounds believed by many to have been situated here.  A document written in 1856 refers to a violent clash on the Hill between the two parties. Today, Moravian Cemetery lies at the foot of Todt Hill.  Some, however, suggest that Todt Hill is simply a distortion of “The Old Hill.”

In 1907, the sites that are now Christopher J. Igneri Playground, Todt Hill Houses, and Sports Park were part of one 35-acre estate owned by Moritz and Elsa Glauber. The property was divided by Schmidts Lane, separating the present-day Sports Park from the rest of the land. The Housing Authority assigned the playground to NYC Parks in 1958 for the building of Todt Hill recreational facilities, in connection with Todt Hill Houses. On March 1, 2017, the park was renamed in honor of dedicated NYC Parks employee, Christopher J. Igneri.

Between 1996 and 1998, play equipment and safety surfacing were added, along with improvements to the handball courts, pavements, sidewalks and fencing. Christopher J. Igneri Playground currently contains benches, a brick public restroom, a flagpole with a yardarm, handball courts, swings, basketball courts, and a water play area. A ramp links the playground to the Todt Hill Houses.