Dongan Playground

What was here before?

This was once the site of the Seaver Farm. The family patriarch was Patrick Seaver (1813-1877), a miller and farmer in Richmond County. He emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland in 1846, settling in this area where he worked at the Crocheron tidewater mill and later cultivated 111 acres of farmland. He married Maria Naughton in 1851 and had nine children.

How did this site become a playground?

Since its opening in 1968, this playground has had three names. Originally called P.S. 52 Playground after the nearby school, it was renamed Mason Playground in 1986 after Mason Avenue and Dongan Playground in 1997 after Dongan Hills Avenue.

NYC Parks renovated Dongan Playground three times since its opening. The first, completed in 1987, included redesigning the play area, restoring sports courts, resurfacing tennis areas, upgrading drainage and water systems, and adding new benches, fencing, and landscaping. A second upgrade in 1996 introduced new play equipment and safety surfacing. Most recently, in 2025, the playground was completely transformed with multigenerational modern play structures, new pavement, safety surfacing, fencing, seating, and a drinking fountain.

Who is this playground named for?

Colonel Thomas Dongan (1634–1715), an Irish-born British colonial administrator, was appointed governor of New York in 1683 by the Duke of York, following the unpopular rule of Major Edmund Andros. Having gained prior experience as the military governor of Tangier, Dongan applied his knowledge to restructure New York’s government.

Soon after arriving, he introduced the colony’s first representative assembly, divided the territory into counties, and authored "Dongan’s Charter," which provided the foundational civil structure for New York City and established peace with neighboring Native American nations. In October 1683, the newly formed assembly, elected by landowning white males, met in Manhattan and drafted the “Charter of Liberties and Privileges.” This document outlined a three-branch government (governor, council, and assembly), recognized rights such as trial by jury and freedom from taxation without representation, and granted religious liberty but only to Christians.

In 1686, the Dongan Charter placed all unused and unclaimed land under the control of New York City's Common Council, marking the beginning of municipal stewardship of public spaces. This included outdoor markets and commons that later became parks like Bowling Green, the Battery, and City Hall Park. These areas served early roles as parade grounds, cannon batteries, and burial sites.

Dongan returned to Ireland as the Earl of Limerick in the spring of 1691.  He left his New York estate to his nephews, and multiple Staten Island landmarks bear his name.  Dongan Street, Dongan Hills, and Dongan Hall all honor him as governor, and Castleton Avenue and Castleton Corners recall his birthplace.  Dongan Hills is home to the third oldest building in New York City, the Billiou-Stillwell-Perrine House at 1476 Richmond Road, which dates from before Dongan’s arrival in New York.  Dongan’s home, however, burned to the ground on Christmas Day 1878, almost 200 years after his death.