Sunswick Creek

Sunswick Creek once defined the landscape of this area, flowing as a natural, winding waterway from what is now Queens Plaza all the way north to the East River. Its name originates from an Algonquin term, likely Sunkisq, which translates to Woman Chief or Sachem's Wife. For centuries, this tidal marshland served as a vital resource for local Indigenous populations who fished its waters and hunted in the surrounding meadows. By the late seventeenth century, European settlers arrived and dammed the mouth of the creek to power a mill, permanently altering the flow of the salt water.