Starr Playground was the 501st playground in the Parks system when it opened on Christmas Day, 1947.
In the Depression-era 1930s, federal aid through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) enabled the City to greatly expand and improve its play spaces. Under the strict stewardship of Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981), new playgrounds were constructed at an astonishing rate throughout the decade. Moses was able to harness the massive manpower of the Parks Department, whose ranks had swollen to more than 80,000 workers due primarily to the influx of federal money to stem unemployment through large public works projects.