Memorial Circle

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

What was here before?

Originally designated Washington Circle after Washington Avenue, Rockaway Beach Boulevard’s former name, the circle was built in conjunction with the real estate development of the area. This neighborhood began developing in the 1880s when the New York, Woodhaven, and Rockaway Railroads connected the area. In the 19th century, it was a common practice for railroad companies operating in cities to deal in real estate, making profits by both selling land for development and creating a demand for their transit services. Heavy rail lines carried passengers back and forth between New York City and outlying areas like the Rockaways, while streetcars, like the Ocean Electric Railway, provided local service.

Just a cul-de-sac standing at the edge of the Rockaway Park community, in 1889 the road was soon extended for further development in Rockaway Park and Belle Harbor.

How did this site become a park?

Memorial Circle, located between Beach 120th Street and Beach 121st Street on Rockaway Beach Boulevard, became a public park when the Rockaway Park Improvement Company deeded the land to the City on June 29, 1911. Intensive development of the area’s beachfront, including the opening of the Rockaway Beach Amusement Park (opened in 1901) and the smaller Rockaway Playland (operated until 1985), made Rockaway Park a favorite summer location. By 1915 the area already had hundreds of new homes.

Throughout this neighborhood’s long history, this circle has remained. In 1948 the park was named Memorial Circle. The Belle Harbor Garden Club with help from the Jewish War Veterans helped maintain the park. Since the 1990s, the Friends of Memorial Circle have cared for and beautified the park, providing an environment for residents and visitors to sit and remember those who came before.

Who is this park named for?

This circle honors 33 American soldiers who died in World War II. One plaque at the base of the flagpole gives a list of names. Other plaques, dedicated by the Belle Harbor Garden Club on May 30, 1947, stand in front of the park’s trees as memorials “to those who made the supreme sacrifice in WWII”.