In 1929, Mrs. Elizabeth Grobes went to the town fathers and asked for a piece of land on which to have a playground.  The children had no place to play except in the street.  The ground on which some neighbors, to mention a few, Mrs. Carrie McCloud, Mrs. Alice Nettingham, Mrs. Mary Gaines, Mrs. Florence McCray, Mrs. Lillian Boykins, Mrs. Grace Keats, Mrs. Almeta Hurte, Mrs. Ethel McCauley, Mr. Bernard Johnson, Mrs. Lucy Johnson, Mr. George Davis sr,. Mr. Gerald Davis and Mr. Chic Johnson got busy cleaning away the brush and soon there appeared a ball field, a tennis court and under a group of trees; tables and benches.  There, the children played checkers and made a limited number of crafts.  The town paid for a worker and money for the bats and balls was given by parents and interested friends.  The children soon out grew this little site and it was time to move on.

In 1932, Jerseyland Park Community Center Inc. was founded on the site that we know today.  The Old Seabon Property was purchased from the Citizens Building and Loan Association of Elizabeth, NJ.  It contained 9 3/4 acres of land, a ten room house, store and garage costing $4,500.  The Center was incorporated in 1934.  Judge Lloyd Thompson aided the group in establishing a charter, qualifying them as a non-profit organization which allowed for a tax free status.  The first nine trustees were Mrs. Mary Talbott, Mrs. Elizabeth Jackson, Mrs. Alice Spain, Mrs. Elizabeth D. Grobes, Mrs Lucious Collier, Mr. Leyroy Hendricks, Mr. David Onque, Mrs. Blanch Andrews and Mr. R.L. Jones.  From the inception, it has served as a neighborhood civic and recreational center, long before the term, ‘day care center’ became a household word.

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