The origin of this park’s name is somewhat unclear. There are two possibilities: the name might have been chosen due to the site’s proximity to Washington Cemetery; or it is possible that this property is somehow named for the neighborhood of Gravesend, which today lies more than a mile to the south,

Gravesend was the first English settlement in New York, founded by Lady Deborah Moody (c.1583-1659) in 1645. The solitary English town developed an air of self-sufficiency that lasted until 1894 when it was finally annexed by the City of Brooklyn.