Owl's Head Park

The land that would become Owl's Head Park was first settled by the Canarsee.[1] In the 17th century, Dutch settlers arrived in the area.[1] The first European to claim ownership of the park's land was Teunis Van Pelt.[2] On April 13, 1680, he sold a section of his land to Swaen Janse Van Lowaanen, whose farm on the water, north of what is now known as Bay Ridge Avenue, eventually became the park.[2] The land passed through several more hands before ending up with Henry C. Murphy, who in 1856 built a large mansion on the property, creating a personal estate.[2][3] Murphy was a state senator best known for writing the legislation that began construction on the Brooklyn Bridge. The famous bill was signed in his mansion at Owl's Head, which was a name he bestowed on the property.[2][3] The source of the name has been a subject of debate, ranging from the shape of the land, to speculation that owls once lived in a barn on the property, to the fact that stone owls once graced its entrance gate.[2][3][1] It seems likely, however, that the name was simply lifted from another property in the area, that of the Van Brunt family, whose land really was shaped like an owl.[2