In 1889 the City of Brooklyn acquired the land for a park on a site bounded by Monitor and Russell Streets, Nassau and Driggs Avenues. Winthrop Park was named for Assemblyman Winthrop Jones, who was instrumental in obtaining the $132,825 appropriation for the purchase. A lifelong resident of Greenpoint, Jones co-owned a lumberyard at the corner of Kent and West Streets and also worked as a job printer.