DiMattina Playground

Rapelye, Woodhull, and Hicks Streets and Rapelye, Hicks, and Cole Streets

Brooklyn

Directions via Google Maps

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

What was here before?
This was once part of the Luquer Family Farm. Jean (Jan) L'Escuyer (1635-1713) came over to New Netherland from France in 1658 and married Rachel Dircks, daughter of Dirck the Noorman, one of the earliest settlers of Brooklyn. The estate remained in the family until it was divided and sold as the population grew.

How did this site become a park?
The City acquired the two parcels of land that form DiMattina Park in three phases between 1941 and 1947. In 1967 local law named the larger section for Vincent J. DiMattina, leaving the smaller section nameless.

In 2001, NYC Parks installed a dog run in the larger section of the playground and improved the play facilities. In 2015 the DiMattina Dog Run was reconstructed and expanded to create separate spaces for large and small dogs.

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