History of MacNeil Park

St. Paul's College opened in 1839 and closed 10 years later. But the name for this area of Queens - "College Point" - stuck. After the school closed, the Chisholm family erected a stone mansion on the site.
This photo from the New York Public Library shows the mansion which was built in 1848. The city took over the property in the 1930s and created "College Point Park". Mayor LaGuardia used the mansion as his "Summer City Hall" in 1937.
In 1939, the city decided to demolish the mansion. In 1966, Mayor Lindsey renamed the park after Hermon MacNeil, a College Point sculptor who was known across the nation, mostly for designing the "Standing Liberty" quarter.