Here is a very comprehensive history of Central Park.  Read the introduction and then click on the appropriate dates to find the answers to the following questions.

Be sure to put the answers in complete sentences and in your notebooks.

How many people were living in New York in 1850 and exactly where were most of them located?

Where did most of them go to escape the city?

Who was the first public official to propose the need for a city park?

What was the cost for the undeveloped land that would eventually become Central Park?

Whose design won the park design competition?

1858-1878

By 1873, how much landscape material had been hauled into the site? Where did the majority of it come from?
Why was this even necessary?

What type of architectural details were included in the park and what type of traffic was park designed to support?

1878-1960

What was the Greensward Plan and how many years did it take to complete?  

What was one of the major obstacles to its completion?

What was the greatest threat to the park during the the 1910's and 1920's?

Name two men who finally came to the park's rescue.  Include a description of their roles in the park's restoration.

1960-1980

What were the reasons for the park's decline during this time period? 
Describe any of the park's highlights.

What organization formed to provide a new life for Central Park and how did this organization come about?

1980- present

What were the three major tasks of the Park Conservancy's master plan?

How much money has the Conservancy raised?  Where does the money come from?

When you are done with the questions, close this window.