Springfield Park

What was here before? 
Attracted to the area’s abundant water sources, the Dutch began settling this area in the 1640s. The settlers were farmers and used the waterways to create an irrigation system. By 1700, Spring Fields was a small farm hamlet composed of several homes assembled around dirt roads. By 1750, a sawmill and gristmill (located at Springfield Pond and 147th Avenue) were in operation.

By the mid-1800s southeastern Queens was home to approximately 2,000 residents, many of whom provided produce to much of present-day Manhattan and Brooklyn through World War I. In anticipation of the need for infrastructure, the New York City Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity acquired land. On this land they built multiple buildings for a pumping station next to Springfield Pond which was connected to Springfield Creek.

How did this site become a park? 
In 1932, the construction of the Springfield Boulevard sewer destroyed Springfield Pond. This area was filled to support the developing neighborhood, including Springfield Park. In 1964, a resolution adopted by the Board of Estimate assigned full rights of the former water supply lands to the Parks Department.

Springfield Park currently contains basketball courts, two baseball diamonds, two tennis courts, playgrounds, and a central pond with two bridges.

Who is this park named for? 
Springfield Park, named after the surrounding neighborhood of Springfield Gardens, was originally known as “Spring Fields” because of its system of natural ponds and creeks.

Urbanization of the area began in the early 1900s during a real estate boom spurred by a new station for the Long Island Rail Road. Coinciding with the railroad was the completion of Springfield Gardens, a large housing development. By 1924, Spring Fields’ population of 5,000 was living in about 1,200 single family homes. By the late 1930s, the population had grown to approximately 15,000. In 1927, the Post Office renamed the area ‘Springfield Gardens’ and the Long Island Rail Road renamed their station accordingly soon after.