The Battery

Artwork History

What was here before?

Prior to European settlement, Brooklyn Heights was a Lenape village named Ihpetonga, meaning “high sandy hills.”  In the 19^th century the area was populated with rowhouses as well as industrial facilities, and the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 spurred transit access and further development.  In addition to many buildings, the Sands Street Terminal and elevated rail-lines previously occupied portions of the land comprising Cadman Plaza that included this site. 

How did this site become a park?

The bulk of a ten-square-block property from the bridge ramp to Borough Hall was condemned in 1935. A year later the site was cleared, and by the late 1930s, WPA laborers had built an interim park of open fields north and south of this plaza and planted shade trees. The site was named Cadman Plaza in 1939. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (1842-1947) revived plans for a downtown Brooklyn civic center first proposed at the outset of World War I.  The Fulton Street El train was demolished in 1941, and in 1943 the Brooklyn Bridge terminal at Sands Street to the north was razed.

With the removal of the terminal a new park plan, by Clarke and Rapuano, provided a mix of open plazas bordered by evenly spaced London Plane trees. The granite flagstaff was erected then and included a bronze relief plaque honoring the Reverend S. Parks Cadman (stolen in 1974). The triangular portion of Cadman Plaza south of Tillary Street was renamed  Korean War Veterans Plaza in 1992. The New York City Building and Trades Council donated labor and materials and rebuilt the engraved entry walls, installed an accessibility ramp, and commissioned a wall of honor listing those from Brooklyn who died in combat during the war. The existing flagstaff pedestal was engraved with a dedication to all who served in Korea.

What is this park named for?

The park honors the 366 Brooklynites who gave their lives in combat during the Korean War (1950-53). The Korean War (1950-1953) began officially on June 25, 1950, when North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel dividing North and South Korea and invaded South Korea.  The United Nations authorized an armed force, under the command of United States General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), to drive back the North Koreans and to re-establish the original boundary. Although President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) never declared war through the official channels, American troops were sent and an offensive began. On July 27, 1953, after tens of thousands of lives had been lost, both sides signed an armistice that ended overt hostilities and restored the original boundary parallel as the dividing line between North and South Korea. 

Artwork Details

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