Saint Mary's Recreation Center Celebrates its 60th Anniversary

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined Sam Goodman, representing the Bronx Borough President, and members of the Mott Haven community to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the opening of the City's first indoor recreation facility. After the speaking program, a "Happy Birthday" banner was unveiled.

"Sixty years ago, St. Mary's Recreation Center was opened under former Commissioner Robert Moses as an indoor oasis for the community and an opportunity for the young people of Mott Haven to enjoy healthy activities," said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Today, this center stands as a jewel among more than 30 Parks Recreation Centers throughout the city that continue the tradition that Moses set in place. From free swimming lessons to senior programs to salsa classes, this historic center is a destination for the entire family."

St. Mary's Recreation Center was the first indoor recreation facility to open in New York City. After World War II, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) inaugurated a citywide recreation program to provide the most congested city neighborhoods with places to play and socialize in cold weather months. Opened within St. Mary's Park in 1951, this facility served as the pilot project for eight other centers located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. Moses believed that the centers would occupy the children of the city during the winter, keeping them from activities that he characterized as "undesirable."

In 1874, New York City annexed parts of the southern Bronx (formerly lower Westchester County). Seeking to create public parks in the Bronx, journalist John Mullaly (1835-1915) founded the New York Park Association in 1881. His efforts culminated in the 1884 New Parks Act and the city's 1888-90 purchase of lands for Van Cortlandt, Claremont, Crotona, Bronx, St. Mary's, and Pelham Bay Parks and the Moshulu, Pelham, and Crotona Parkways. St. Mary's Park was named for a Protestant Episcopal church that stood three blocks to the west until 1959. The park led the way in the development of recreation programs in the Bronx. The borough's first playground opened in St. Mary's Park in 1914. In response to rapid population growth and residential construction in the neighborhood, three additional playgrounds opened in the park between 1938 and 1941.
A revitalization of the Recreation Center began with the 1994 repainting of a superheroes mural painted in the center in the early 1970s. The City Parks Foundation, in concert with members of the community, provided a majority of the funding and labor for the projects. The lobby was refurbished with sheetrock and decorative wood paneling. A large concrete pillar that once stood in the center of the lobby was dismantled and a reception desk was made out of the material; the room is now bathed in a balanced glow thanks to renovations of the lighting fixtures. The Foundation gave $10,000 toward the upgrading of the computer room and $30,000 for fitness equipment to enhance the facility. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani funded a $89,997 restoration of the third level gymnasium floor which was completed in 1998.

Today, the Parks Department oversees the most affordable and extensive network of recreational services throughout New York City, including more than 30 recreation centers which offer facilities such as indoor pools, weight rooms, basketball courts, and dance studios, art studios, game rooms, and libraries.