221st Street is a fairly busy route in Bayside. Since it’s bridged over the Long Island Rail Road — one of the few crossings over the railroad in Bayside — it attracts a good deal of two way traffic. In fact, it has always been a semi-important route and was once called Bayside Boulevard, as shown on this 1909 map.
Just north of the railroad, at 41st Avenue, 221st Street has to negotiate the edge of a steep hill. To do this it takes a curve and splits into two streets, one of which is called 222nd Street north of 41st. That leaves a triangle-shaped plot that looks especially good in the fall when the colors change, as shown above. The plot has been named Chaplain Rock Triangle. Chaplain Rock — perhaps a historic site?
No such luck; it’s named instead for an actual person, Chaplain James Rock (1880-1941), who served at the nearby Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church on 38th Avenue. During World War I, he became an army chaplain. I doubt he inspired DC Comics’ iconic soldier, Sergeant Rock.
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2/17/17