John Paul Jones Park, Brooklyn, NY

All photos in this post can be enlarged to see more detail by clicking on them

John Paul Jones Park is located between Shore Road, Fourth Avenue, 101st Street, and Fort Hamilton Parkway, in the borough of Brooklyn, NY.  In 1969 the park was named for American Patriot and Naval hero, John Paul Jones (1747-1792), who, through his victorious leadership in the American Revolution, became known as “the father of the Navy.”   This small park is adjacent to the US Army Fort Hamilton base, and is full of many interesting memorials.

This photo mosaic shows different views of the Civil War Memorial presented to the City of Mew York by the United States Military in 1900. The massive, black, 20” bore, Parrott cannon, founded in 1864, originally stood in Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. It's massive cannon balls are on display around it.

The Dover Patrol Naval War Memorial was a gift from England after World War I. It was a tribute to the U.S. Naval Forces in Europe during World War 1.

Behind the memorial you can see a 70 foot tall flag pole that once belonged to a Navy destroyer. At the base lies a plaque, which reads “in honor of John Paul Jones, the father of the Navy.”

A closer look at the inscriptions on the Dover Patrol Naval War Memorial:

If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can read that there is a similar memorial in Dover, England, and Blanc Nez, France.

It is good to remember their sacrifice.

A Revolutionary War Memorial consists of a bronze tablet on a granite boulder that New York City received from the Long Island Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1916. The first resistance to British troops by the Continental Army took place in this vicinity during the American Revolutionary Battle of Brooklyn.

This monument located against the expansive backdrop of the Verrazano Bridge, at the southern end of John Paul Jones Park honors local activist John N. Lacorte (1910-1991).  Mr. Lacorte advocated for the recognition of contributions made by Italians and Italian-Americans. Thanks to LaCorte’s efforts, the adjacent bridge was named for Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano. LaCorte was also the driving force behind the institution of Columbus Day as a national holiday. He also founded The Italian Historical Society of America in 1949.

The monument is inscribed with the words, "Inspiratio per Exemplum," or, "Inspiration through Example."

The bronze relief medallion of Verazzano incorporated into the LaCorte Monument was made by Albino Manca in 1964 to commemorate the dedication of the Verrazano Bridge, which can be seen  from the park in the photo below.

The Verranzano - Narrows Bridge was the largest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its completion in 1964, until it was surpassed by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom in 1981. It now has the eighth longest center span in the world, and is the largest suspension bridge in the United States.

The Verrazano Bridge marks the gateway to New York Harbor, and connects the borough of Brooklyn to the borough of Staten Island in New York City.  All cruise ships and most container ships arriving at the Port of New York and New Jersey must pass underneath the bridge and thus must be built to accommodate the clearance under the bridge. If you enlarge this photo you can see a large container ship from Korea passing under the bridge, possibly carrying new cars?

After passing under the bridge at the Narrows the ships continue on into New York Harbor as you can see by this photo I took of the shoreline, across the street from John Paul Jones Park. There is a

pedestrian and bike path along the shoreline at this part of Brooklyn that extends for miles, and is a pleasant walk in the warmer months.  You can see more of the beautiful walkway by clicking here, as well as more views of the surrounding neighborhood of Bay Ridge.

After this winter walk I was ready to head home for a cup of hot chocolate and to put my feet up and read a good book -- which is what I'll probably be doing again this weekend. as we are having another snow storm.  Old Man Winter is hanging on tight this year!