Description
Book SynopsisThis book is the authoritative account of the place that would become Central Park. From the first Dutch family to settle on the land through the political crusade to create America’s first major urban park, Sara Cedar Miller chronicles two and a half centuries of history.
Trade ReviewCentral Park is the most important and influential urban public space in the world. But what did its 843 acres look like before Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux performed their magic? Sara Cedar Miller has given us the answer and so much more. The illustrations are beautiful, the prose rolling and imaginative, the research thorough, and the result, splendiferous. -- Kenneth T. Jackson, editor in chief of
The Encyclopedia of New York CityWandering through the green heart of the city, Central Park, who hasn’t wondered: What have these rocks seen? What do the trees know? Who came before? Thank goodness for the charming, curious, careful historian, Sara Cedar Miller, who labored thirty years to bring us their surprising stories. Highly recommended. -- Eric W. Sanderson, author of
Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York CityA stunning display of historical sleuthing. Brilliantly researched and superbly illustrated, Sara Cedar Miller’s book unravels the story of the 843 acres that became Central Park. Anyone interested in New York City’s past will find
Before Central Park indispensable. -- Shane White, author of
Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black MillionaireSara Cedar Miller sets out to tell the landscape history of Central Park that often goes untold. She expertly uses the historical record to analyze the cultural processes responsible for shaping the landscape prior to the construction of the park. In doing so, she unearths the layers of the landscape to highlight the cultural attitudes embedded in the landscape. -- Phil Birge-Liberman, University of Connecticut
Before Central Park is distinctive in its combination of Miller’s photography, her expert understanding of the park’s geography and archeology, and her meticulous real estate history of parkland from the 17th through the 19th centuries...an invaluable resource. -- Kara Murphy Schlichting * The Gotham Center for New York City History *
Miller masterfully combines historical photographs, sketches, plans, designs, and contemporary images to create a rich tapestry. * Journal of Urban Affairs *
Table of ContentsPreface
Introduction
Part I: Topography1. The First Settlers, 1625–1664
2. Along the Kingsbridge Road, 1683–1845
3. The Other Bensons, 1754–1846
4. The War at McGowan’s Pass, 1776–1784
5. Valentine Nutter, 1760–1814
6. The War of 1812
Part II: Real Estate7. Dividing Bloomingdale, 1667–1790s
8. Dividing Bloomingdale, 1790–1824
9. Dividing Bloomingdale, Seneca Village: The Residents, 1825–1857
10. Dividing Bloomingdale, Seneca Village: The Black Leaders, 1825–1857
11. Dividing Harlem, 1825–1843
12. Dividing Yorkville, 1785–1835
13. The Receiving Reservoir, 1835–1842
14. A Changing Land, 1845–1853
Part III: The Idea of a Park15. The Battle of the Parks, 1844–1852
16. Becoming Central Park, 1853–1856
17. The First Commission, 1855–1857
18. Designing Central Park, 1857–1858
19. Extending the Park, 1859–1863
Epilogue
Afterword by Elizabeth W. Smith, President and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy
Acknowledgments
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
