Central Park, Winter, New York City

Panoramic view of Central Park, New York City, winter, looking north from near the Bethesda Terrace towards the Croton Reservoir. People skiing on the frozen lake. Drawn by John Bachmann. Lithograph by Julius Bien (1826-1909). Published by Edmund Foerster & Co. 1865. Source: New York Public Library.

The Croton Reservoir was built between 1858 and 1862 to provide additional capacity for the City’s first receiving reservoir, which pre-dated the Park and was located just to the south.

Central Park was envisioned in the 1840s and the began to acquire the land by 1847 and continued through 1852. The New York State Legislature approved the establishment of Central Park in 1853. Construction began on the Park in 1858. Workers moved nearly 5 million cubic yards of stone, earth, and topsoil, built 36 bridges and arches, and constructed 11 overpasses over the transverse roads. They also planted 500,000 trees, shrubs, and vines.