Greenstreet-ABE WOLFSON

Abe Wolfson Triangle

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

What was here before?

This region was first settled by Dutch in 1651 and established as an English settlement in 1654 by Director General of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant (1592-1672). The Doughty family was given a deed to this land, which was the site of the Doughty Swamp. Once a source for drinking water, the swamp was filled in over-time to accommodate a growing population. New homes and businesses were built in the 1920s after the NYC Subway and Long Island Railroad were expanded to this area.

How did this site become a triangle?

Abe Wolfson Triangle is part of the Greenstreets program, which is a joint project of NYC Parks and the NYC Department of Transportation. Began in 1986 and revived in 1994, this initiative converted paved street properties, such as triangles and malls into green spaces.

Who is this triangle named for?

This greenstreet was named in 1974 for Abraham Wolfson (1949-1971), an environmental activist and one of the founders of the Queens Historical Society.

Born in New York City, Wolfson worked on environmental projects at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Queens College. He founded the Flushing Meadows Park Action Committee which called for the cleanup of the Flushing River and Flushing Bay, and the preservation of the Willow Lake wetlands. Wolfson strove to reduce pollution and create small parks in his community while studying theology.

Wolfson was also an aviation enthusiast and took flying lessons. In 1971, Wolfson travelled to Great Falls, Montana to pursue this interest. During the flight on November 9th, Wolfson’s single engine Cessna 150 crashed into a Cascade County farm near Ulm, Montana, fatally injuring Wolfson.