Moore Homestead Playground

Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863) was a professor of Oriental and Greek literature at New York's General Theological Seminary from 1823 to 1850. He also donated a large piece of land that he had inherited, located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, to the seminary.

The Moore family was among the earliest settlers of Elmhurst, Queens, having been granted 80 acres there in the mid-1600s. Prior to the colonization of Elmhurst, the land was considered part of the Canarsie and Munsee Lenape territories. The Moore Homestead, built by Captain Samuel Moore of the Newtown militia, lasted from 1661 to 1933. The Moore family intermarried with many other colonial families in the area. Clement Moore spent much of his childhood at the family estate in Newtown. P.S. 13 in Elmhurst is also named in Moore's honor.

Clement Clarke Moore was born and raised in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. He wrote on a variety of topics but is best known today as the author of the enduringly popular Christmas poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." The poem was first published anonymously in 1823, and there has been debate over its true authorship. Many scholars believe it was actually written by Henry Livingston, Jr., but decisive proof has been elusive. The poem became a classic popularly known as "The Night Before Christmas” and brought the idea of Santa Claus to mainstream culture. It's been said that Moore was inspired to write the poem for his grandchildren by regaling them in the nostalgic times of his youth, where he would visit family at their ancestral property. Though he never lived there, when he would visit, he stayed at one of the outlier homes - where the 80-20 Broadway apartment building now stands.

Moore died in Newport, Rhode Island in 1863.

Sources:

"Clement Clarke Moore," Poetry Foundation, accessed September 30, 2022, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/clement-clarke-moore

"Clement Clarke Moore," Britannica, accessed September 30, 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clement-Clarke-Moore

"Moore Homestead Playground," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, accessed September 30, 2022, https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/moore-homestead-playground/history

Native Land Digital, https://native-land.ca/

Additional information provided by James McMenamin.