Abyssinian Tot Lot is a small plot of land at West 139 Street, between Adam C Powell Boulevard and Lenox Avenue.
Abyssinian Tot Lot Playground
The Abyssinian Tot Lot is bordered to the south by the Headstart building. It used to be an empty space where people dumped their trash.
New York City Parks aquired the land in November 1997 and turned it into a play area.
The renovation of the lot provided the neighbourhood with an open space as well as a thoroughfare that connects 138th and 139th Streets.
How Did Abyssinian Tot Lot Get Its Name?
The little lot gets its name from the fourth African American Baptist church in the country and the first in the state of New York, the Abyssinian Baptist Church.
The church was started in 1808 by First Baptist Church members. The congregation called itself the Abyssinian Baptist Church after Abyssinia, present day Ethiopia.The original church was located in Greenwich Village but it moved north together with the African American population in New York City.
The Abyssinian Tot Lot acts as a play area for the Annie G. Newsome Headstart Program. Newsome was an active parishioner at Abyssinian Baptist Church. She taught Sunday school and helped to found the church’s education program.
The Headstart Facility encourages parents to become more involved in their children’s education and provides community-based support for the participating families.
The play area at Abyssinian Tot Lot is a little structure with a low platform and with some slides.
If you enjoyed this story, we think that you will also enjoy this one on the Abraham Lincoln Playground in East Harlem.
