| Cunningham Park | |
|---|---|
 Francis Lewis Boulevard in Cunningham Park | |
 | |
| Type | public park |
| Location | BorderingOakland Gardens andFresh Meadows inQueens,New York |
| Coordinates | 40°44′N73°46′W / 40.733°N 73.767°W /40.733; -73.767 |
| Area | 358 acres (145 ha) |
| Operated by | New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |
Cunningham Park is a 358-acre (1.4 km2) park in theNew York Cityborough ofQueens. The park lies between theGrand Central Parkway to the south and theLong Island Expressway, and is bifurcated by theClearview Expressway. The park is operated by theNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
New York City acquired land to build a park, named Hillside Park, in 1928.[1]
MajorW. Arthur Cunningham served inWorld War I as a member of the165 Infantry of theUnited States Army.[2][3] A resident ofForest Hills, Major Cunningham successfully ran as aRepublican for the position ofcontroller of New York City in 1933.[4][5][6]
After being sworn into office, Cunningham found that the city was deeply in debt and had insufficient funds to repay its debts.[7][8] Cunningham also found that the city had been far behind in collecting property taxes from landowners.[9] Cunningham said that the city must collect the delinquent property taxes, and that the property tax rate would likely need to be increased in order for the city to stay afloat.[10][11] Cunningham disclosed all the financial troubles of the city in order to better inform the public.[12]
Cunningham died of a heart attack while riding a horse inAsharoken, Long Island.[13] He was 39 years old.[13] His body was buried inCalvary Cemetery nearLong Island City.[3]Queens Borough PresidentGeorge U. Harvey considered Cunningham a dear friend of his, and he thought that Cunningham's untimely death was caused in part by his worries about the city's problems.[14]
In 1935, the Board of Aldermen voted in favor of renaming Hillside Park in honor of Cunningham.[15] In June 1936, a memorial to Cunningham was erected in park in the following month.[15] The memorial was a flagpole set in bronze with an inscribed stone base.[15] Major Cunningham's seven-year-old son, John Arthur Cunningham, unveiled the plaque at a ceremony.[15][16][17]
In 1940, New York City bought a piece of land in order to connect discontinuous segments ofFrancis Lewis Boulevard and to expand Cunningham Park.[18][19]
A granite and bronze memorial to Major Cunningham was created by sculptorEmil Siebern and installed next to the Cunningham memorial flagpole in 1942.[20]
TheLong Island Motor Parkway provides a bicycle path through Cunningham Park, west toKissena Park and east toAlley Pond Park, part of theBrooklyn-Queens Greenway.[21]
Mountain biking trails run throughout northern areas of the park which include two major sections connected by an overpass that runs across theClearview Expressway. Trails are signed by level and range from beginner to expert.[22]
New York Road Runners hosts a weekly 2.7-mile Open Run.[23]
