Hidden History In Central Park

Visiting New York City isn’t complete without getting a selfie in Central Park. Ever wonder how an 843-acre outdoor oasis ended up in the middle of a concrete jungle? Teleporting back to the early 1800’s New York City, Manhattan is mostly populated at the southern tip (Battery Park) up to Wall Street but an influx of immigrants are pushing the city limits further north. Manhattan’s ‘elite’ are starving for a public park as a refuge from the busy city and place to engage with nature.

1840’s North of Wall Street wasn’t as it is today - think less buildings and lots of undevelopment swamp land = lots of space for a park. Originally proposed in the Upper East Side, local residents vetoed the sale of the land and the runner up became the focus: a plot of 750-acres located at 59th - 106th between 5th and 8th Avenue. Several communities including Seneca Village, mostly free African Americans, and Pigtown, Irish Immigrant farmers pushed north by complaints of the ‘pungent smell’ from their livestock, owned and inhabited the area. Though some reports at the time labeled the communities ‘Shantytowns’, Seneca Village* (Est. 1827) had well structured homes, several churches and a branch of the public school system. Sadly, they were evicted from the land (compensation for the land from the city for those who could show proof of ownership) by 1857 due to eminent domain.

*Over the past several decades, excavations, artifacts, plaques, plays, books, and exhibits ensure the history of this community isn’t forgotten and given credit for its impact in the evolution of New York City.

The two park designers, Frederick Law Olmsterd and Calvert Vaux, along with an elected committee ‘broke ground’ for the park in 1857, clearing out brush, draining swamps, leveling grounds, and hauling in tons of topsoil from Upstate and New Jersey to accommodate the planned flora and fauna landscaping. Everything in the park is man-made including the ponds and reservoirs. Dwindling freshwater sources and contamination (cholera outbreak anyone?) created a need for water to be piped into the island. The Croton Aqueduct project partnered with the park resulting in two reservoirs located in the geographical center: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and The Great Lawn. Lawn? The smaller of the two and decommissioned in the 1920s, the reservoir was covered by turf and now The Great Lawn. It is estimated 20,000+ individuals contributed to the construction of the park ranging from day laborers, gardeners, architects, city officials. The park development chugged along through budget issues, Civil War, and creative disagreements to finally be completed in 1876, including the purchase of additional land resulting in the total acreage it is today.

The story of Central Park doesn’t end here. Several declines and rehabilitations have happened over the decades. Relaxation of the rules allowing large groups and recreational activities, the invention of the car pulled residents outside the city reducing visitors and attention, and budget issues resulted in neglect and lack of maintenance of the park. Finally in 1980, The Central Park Conservancy, a private non-profit organization, was finally created to look after the park and upkeep in conjunction with NYC Parks. Visitors and locals alike can now enjoy tours, free park concerts, boat rides, and nature to escape the city noise.