Hammel Playground

Rockaway Beach Blvd. bet. Beach 84 St. and Beach 81 St.

Queens

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

Hammels is an area of Rockaway Beach in Queens, named for local landowner Louis Hammel (1836-1904). Originally from Germany, he emigrated to the United States and lived in Elm Park on Staten Island before moving to Brooklyn. During the summers he ran the Eldert House hotel here in the Rockaways. In 1878, he gave land to the New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad for construction of a station, which was named “Hammels.” The name “Hammels” came to designate the entire community. In 1897 Hammels merged with Hollands and was incorporated as the Village of Rockaway Beach. The following year Rockaway Beach became part of Greater New York when the five boroughs consolidated into a single city.