It was just an idea for more than a decade, but by 1857, New Yorkers were serious about building a grand public park. New York was the largest metropolis in the nation, and its citizens wanted to show the world that Americans were not just concerned about industry, wealth, and materialism but that they also appreciated natural landscapes.

Using eminent domain, the city took more than 840 acres of land in the center of Manhattan for the new park. The area was considered to lack any real estate value—it included swamps, bluffs, and rock outcroppings as well as two reservoirs that supplied city water. It was home to about 1,600 poor residents, however. This population of pig farmers, gardeners, and an African American settlement called Seneca Village was displaced by the park's construction.

The Central Park Commission held a competition to choose someone to design the park. Among the professional and amateur designers who entered the contest was a team consisting of an American agriculturalist and a British-born architect: Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

It was Vaux's idea for the two men to join forces. A talented draftsman, Vaux used his detailed drawings to show how their idea for the park would look. An accomplished writer, Olmsted wrote the report that described their plan and included lists of proposed plants and an estimated budget. They submitted their plan, called “Greensward,” a day after the commission's deadline.

Greensward included pastoral views and rolling meadows, just like those in traditional English parks. The plan offered beautiful vistas of green lawns and natural rocky ridges as well as more formal locations for public gatherings.

It also included four roads that cut through the park to carry carriage traffic from one side to the other. Olmsted and Vaux designed these major thoroughfares to run eight feet below the park's surface so they would not disrupt the park's views and rural feeling. Pedestrian paths, equestrian roads, and carriage drives were all kept separate from one another. Vaux designed more than 40 bridges so that these various paths would never have to cross on the same level.

Unlike some of the other submissions that included grand, elaborate buildings, Olmsted and Vaux kept structures to a minimum, with only four in the original plan. The design and materials for the buildings were also specifically selected to blend in with the natural environment.

Greensward was announced the winner in the spring of 1858. The selection committee debated over certain design points—some of the members wanted a wide grand avenue in the park, similar to those found in European parks. Olmsted argued against it by saying that stately roads would “destroy scenery at great cost” and that “straight lines of trees or stately architecture . . . belong not to parks for the people but to palatial gardens.” Olmsted and Vaux had created their design for the recreation of all people, not just the wealthy. The park was to be a place where all New Yorkers could enjoy nature. Its ultimate design would retain this feeling.

The construction of Central Park was one of the most massive public works projects to take place in 19th-century New York. It required about 20,000 workers to reshape the natural features of the land according to Olmsted and Vaux's plan. Three hundred thousand cubic yards of rock were blasted into rubble, and the resulting stone was crushed to use as paving material. Nearly three million cubic yards of soil were moved, and more than 270,000 trees and shrubs were planted. Swamps were transformed into scenic lakes, and extensive drainage work was done to get rid of small streams and pools. By 1866, more than $5 million had been spent on construction. The park's final price tag was more than $10 million. In the end, this entirely planned park, stretching from 59th Street to 110th Street and from Fifth to Eighth avenues, had a completely natural, unplanned feeling to it.

The process of overseeing the park's construction and accounting for its expenditures exhausted Olmsted. He required a six-week rest cure in Europe in 1859 and suffered a severe broken leg in 1860 that laid him up, but he had the plans for the park spread out in his bedroom so he could continue to work. When he tried to resign from the project in 1861, however, the commission knew that it could not afford to lose him. Ultimately, Olmsted's duties and responsibilities were decreased, and when he departed the project to serve in the U.S. Sanitary Commission during the Civil War (1861–1865), the park's construction was completed under park commission president Andrew Green and Vaux.

Olmsted's involvement in Central Park spanned nearly 20 years. It was not the only site he worked or consulted on, and, for a couple of years, other projects demanded his full attention. But from the time their plan was selected until the mid-1870s, Olmsted and Vaux were associated with the park on and off. Sometimes, their titles as landscape architect advisors required little on-site work. At other times, such as when Olmsted filled in as acting president of the Department of Public Parks, he looked into establishing lights in the park at night and assessing the park's safety. By 1878, however, Olmsted's role with the park officially ended.

Today, Central Park stands as one of Olmsted's greatest legacies. It contains numerous playgrounds and athletic fields. Runners and bicyclists make use of the wide, rolling paths. There are places to skate in the winter and boat in the summer. Concerts, plays, and rallies take place there. Sculptures by famous artists can be found throughout the park. There are also quiet places to walk, sit and read a book, or watch birds. Central Park has become a world-famous site that attracts more than 25 million visitors each year. It also is a shining example of Olmsted’s desire to create and preserve public green spaces in urban places for generations of people to enjoy.

Middle School English Assessment

English Assessment

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