Frank Golden Park

What was here before?

This land was once inhabited by the Matinecock, who sold the land to Dutch and English settlers in the 17th century. In 1645, William Lawrence (1622-1680) was granted 900 acres of land in what was known as Tew’s Neck, which he renamed Lawrence Neck. He built a vast estate on this site and served as a magistrate, sheriff, and justice. Lawrence’s descendants sold the land to Eliphalet Stratton (1745-1831) in 1790, and the region became known as Strattonport.

In 1837, Reverend William Augustus Muhlenberg (1796-1877) established the short-lived St. Paul’s College in Strattonport, which gave the region its later name of College Point. The area developed rapidly after 1854 after industrialist Conrad Poppenhusen established a company town for the employees of his rubber factory.

Strattonport was incorporated into the village of College Point in 1870. The village thrived in the 1880s and 1890s, with the expansion of industry and the opening of attractions that made the area a popular destination for day-trippers. With Prohibition, a burgeoning aviation industry replaced the region’s entertainment and dining establishments.

How did this site become a park?

This land was vested to the Housing and Development Administration in 1969. In exchange for a parcel of land that was surrendered for the development of the College Point Industrial Park, a park was built here in 1972. The land was assigned to NYC Parks in 1990.

In 2000, NYC Parks completed an extensive renovation of Frank Golden Memorial Park, which included the installation of a full-size basketball court. The baseball, football, and soccer athletic fields and amenities in the western half of the park were upgraded in 2021. The park also features a playground and public restroom at 136th Street and two baseball diamonds in the eastern portion of the park.

Who is this park named for?

In 1972, this park was named for Frank Golden (1915-1968), a prominent labor leader. Golden was an officer of the New York Hotel & Motel Trades Council as well as the founder and chairman of the Queens Community Labor Committee. In addition to his commitment to labor relations, he spent more than two decades involved in community affairs and local politics in Queens.