Rufus King Park

Rufus King Park is an 11-acre park in Jamaica, Queens, adjacent to the historic King Manor Museum. The park is named for Rufus King, a Founding Father who served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, U.S. Senator from New York, and the Federalist Party's last presidential nominee, in 1816 (he had earlier been the party's vice-presidential candidate twice).

King Manor, the Georgian-Federal house within the park, was built in 1730 and served as the King family estate from 1805 until 1896. Rufus King was one of the most prominent opponents of slavery among the Founding Fathers, and King Manor operates as a museum interpreting his life, the history of slavery, and the struggle for freedom.

The park features a playground, basketball courts, open green areas, and mature shade trees. Its location in the heart of Jamaica, one of Queens' major commercial and civic centers, makes it an important green respite amid the neighborhood's busy streets and transit hub.

Jamaica's transformation as a commercial center has included the development of major retail, residential, and cultural facilities. The park provides a historic anchor in this changing landscape, connecting the neighborhood to its colonial-era origins through the preserved house and grounds.

Rufus King Park is one of the most historically significant parks in Queens, preserving the legacy of a Founding Father who championed the principle that all people are created equal, in a neighborhood that now embodies the diversity that makes that principle both essential and challenging.