This playground honors Walter Bowne (1770-1846), a state senator and New York City mayor. Mr. Bowne’s summer residence stood on this property until March 1925, when fire destroyed the building. As mayor (1828-1832), Bowne is remembered for his strict policies aimed at preventing cholera epidemics. Following reports of an outbreak in a neighboring town during the summer of 1832, Bowne established a stringent quarantine policy regulating travel in and out of the metropolitan area.