Washington Heights, the narrow strip of high ground between the Harlem and Hudson Rivers, is named for the Revolutionary War Fort Washington. Fortifications aside, the area was rural, rocky, and sparsely populated until latter half of the 19th century; the extension of rapid transit to Upper Manhattan century helped spur development. Today, Washington Heights is a diverse, densely populated enclave including the massive Columbia University medical campus, historic sites like the Morris-Jumel mansion, and panoramic views of the Bronx, Lower Manhattan, and the New Jersey Palisades.

The Roman Catholic Church and Rectory of St. Rose of Lima, viewed from across McKenna Square, 1934. The triangular park site was created in 1917, when the city cleared the ad-hoc cottages of Irish immigrant workers there as part of the widening of 165th Street. The roadway in the foreground had previously been known as Croton Street. In 1924, the square was named after Private William McKenna, a soldier killed in World War I. St. Rose of Lima, in the background was designed by architect Joseph H. McGuire and completed in 1905.