Gravesend Veterans Memorial in Lady Moody Square

The granite monument in Lady Moody Square enclosed by the iron fencing is the Gravesend Veterans Memorial. The memorial honors those who served in the American armed forces "to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Dedicated in 1983, the other side of the monument honors the founder of Gravesend, Lady Deborah Moody, an English widow who received a charter for the town from the Dutch colonial government in 1643. The triangular square named for Moody has been part of the New York City Parks system since 1938. Before the city acquired the square, a gas station occupied part of the triangle. Before that, a wood frame building stood here by the 1890s.

Lady Moody Square, bordered by Avenue U, Lake St., and Village Rd. North, was dedicated as a public place in 1928. The square became part of the New York City Parks system in 1938. In 1940, the name Lady Moody Square was given to the space, to honor a founder of Gravesend in the 1640s. Moody was an English widow who emigrated to the American colonies in 1639. She was the first woman in the American colonies to receive a land patent, after being granted land in the Dutch colony in 1645.

In November 1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) announced plans to install new park benches and other improvements that winter in Lady Moody Square and Grand Army Plaza (north of Prospect Park). The undeveloped triangular square was slated to receive "eight new park benches and drinking fountains, drainage facilities and new curbs, concrete sidewalks eight feet wide" and ten shade trees. Since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor took place a few weeks later (December 7th 1941), it wouldn't be surprising if the U.S. entering World War II altered the WPA's plans.

After World War II, the square was linked to war veterans. The Charles and Trapani Twins Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) dedicated a plaque at the square in July 1946 to remember local men who died in the military. A local post of the Catholic War Veterans (CWV), the Rev. Raymond T. Costello Post, held a parade in November 1949, ending with wreath-laying ceremonies at Lady Moody Square. The activities were part of their annual commemoration of war dead and included a speech by Past County Commander Assuero Carretta.

There were efforts in the early 1970s to rename the square that Mayor Laguardia had named for Moody in 1940. The Brooklyn Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) planned to protest in the square on the morning of Saturday August 24th. The NOW chapter issued a statement that said in part that "In a time when the many achievements of women are still ignored, we want to remind Brooklyn that our heritage includes Lady Moody." The triangle was renovated by NYC Parks in 2000 with new concrete walkways and Belgian block paving stones lining the center green. Additional plants were added to the square's existing mature trees.

Anonymous. "Grand Army Plaza to Get New Benches." Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn) November 26th 1941. 3-3.

Anonymous. "Plaque Dedication." Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn) July 2nd 1946. 13-13.

Anonymous. "Women's Group Urges Demonstrations." Carnarsie Courier (Brooklyn) August 22nd 1974. 10-10.

De Luca, F. George. "C. W. V. Notes." Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn) November 29th 1949. 14-14.

Lander, Erik. Gravesend Veterans Memorial, Historical Markers Database. January 12th 2022. Accessed March 26th 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=51141.

NYC Parks. Gravesend Triangle Highlights, Find A Park: Gravesend Triangle, History. Accessed April 6th 2022. https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/gravesend-triangle/history.

Ruppenstein, Andrew. Lady Moody Square, Historical Marker Database. October 27th 2021. Accessed March 26th 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=184768.