Veterans Day: The Story Behind Boro Park’s Alben Square

By Y.M. Lowy

As the country marks Veterans Day, one small triangle in Boro Park serves as a reminder of a young local soldier who gave his life during World War I.

Alben Square, located at the intersection of 14th Avenue and 52nd Street, is named after Bud H. Alben, a Boro Parker who was killed in battle in 1918, just two months before the end of the war.

Born Binyamin Alben to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Bud grew up in Boro Park and attended P.S. 164 before continuing his education at Manual Training High School. He tried several times to enlist in the American forces and was eventually drafted on April 29, 1918.

Serving as a private in the 360th Regiment of the First Army, Alben was wounded by an artillery shell on September 13, 1918, during fighting against German machine-gun positions in France. He died from his wounds on September 21, at just 22 years old.

Following his death, local veterans established the Bud H. Alben Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1436 in his memory. The group also worked to create a public memorial honoring Alben and other soldiers who had lost their lives in the war.

The small parcel of land that is now Alben Square became city property in 1918. In 1923, it was designated as a memorial and named Alben Memorial Square. After falling into disrepair, the VFW post presented a flagpole with a memorial plaque at its base, and the square reopened under the Parks Department in 1935. Its name was eventually shortened to Alben Square.

While Veterans Day may not be a day that is widely marked in Boro Park, the story of Alben Square is a piece of Boro Park history that might otherwise go unnoticed.