Conservatory Water – Margaretta Midura

The Making of Central Park

Part 1

In the early to mid-nineteenth century, New York City was rapidly expanding in population and the amount of free, open space was dwindling. Inhabitants of the city would spend time in cemeteries and open lots, since there were very few “green spaces” for them to enjoy. The wealthier class criticized the lack of the traditional, pastoral landscapes that were so prominent in England. Furthermore, the congestion, pollution, and resulting riots breaking out in the city created a demand for improvement. It was believed that disease and infection travelled through air, and something was needed to act as the city’s “urban lungs” and filter out this contaminated air, creating a healthier environment. All of these circumstances influenced the Central Park Commission to hold the country’s first landscape design contest in 1857 to create a layout for what would become Central Park. The plan submitted by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux was chosen.[i]

The location of the park was something else that had to be considered. Mayor Fernando Wood was largely responsible for choosing the current location of the park on the Upper East Side. Although there was some opposition to the idea, Mayor Wood gathered support from poor immigrant neighborhoods hoping to benefit and from wealthy merchants who believed they could profit from a resulting spike in the value of the surrounding real estate.[ii]

Olmsted took an aesthetic approach, aiming to create a pastoral landscape but still incorporating some picturesque and formal elements. He hoped that everybody, rich and poor, would be able to enjoy the park. Unfortunately, this is not what happened in reality. The park was open to those who entered by carriage, which makes it unsurprising that only the wealthy occupied the park in its early stages. Furthermore, the park was meant for strolling and taking in the beautiful views. Sports and picnics were discouraged.[iii]

Today, Central Park has a much greater variety of uses. People still go there to walk around, but it is also used for jogging, sports, ice-skating, tanning, listening to concerts, etc. Everybody is allowed entrance. However, it is important to note that the majority of its visitors are middle or upper class, which is a result of Central Park’s location.

 

Part 2

Conservatory Water is one of the great attractions of Central Park. It lies near Fifth Avenue and opposite of 74^th Street. The original 1857 plan called for a small pool inside of a glass house, surrounded by an ornamental flower garden. However, this was never fully built.[iv] Instead, a naturalistic pond with water lilies was created. Today, Conservancy Water is very popular for boating in the spring and summer, (as seen in the movie Stuart Little.) It is also open for ice-skating during the winter months.[v]

This change of usage falls in line with the transformation Central Park has undergone throughout its history. Conservancy Water, just like the majority of the park, no longer has a purely aesthetic value. People have become much more interactive with the park, using it for activities that go beyond simply enjoying the beautiful view, such as boating and ice-skating.

 

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