Antique Images of Central Park

The Central Park, the largest park in Manhattan, occupies a rectangular area of 340 hectares. It extends for about 4 km, between 59th Street and 110th Street, and for about 0.8 km, between Fifth Avenue and Eighth Avenue. It is considered to be the first landscaped public park in the United States.

In the early 19 century the area was an irregular terrain of swamps and bluffs. The Park was envisioned in the 1840s and the New York State Legislature approved the establishment of Central Park in 1853. In 1857, the first Central Park Commission was appointed and selected the “Greensward Plan” by Frederick Law Olmsted, the park’s superintendent at the time, and architect Calvert Vaux. The cleansing of the site began in the same year. Lakes replaced old swamps.

The Park first opened for public use in the winter of 1859. The masonry of the Bethesda Fountain was installed by 1863 and it was officially completed in 1873. Central Park was officially opened in 1876.

More: Central Park in 19th Century ►

and: Fifth Avenue at Central Park ►

Southern part of Central Park near the Scholar's Gate, showing buildings on Fifth Avenue in the background, including Hotel Netherland and Hotel Savoy. The old Plaza Hotel was demolished in 1905 and the new Plaza was completed in 1907, on the corner of 59th Street (photo between 1905 and 1907, postcard published by Aristophoto Company).