- City:
- New York, New York City, NY
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Paths and Trails
- New Deal Agencies:
- Civil Works Administration (CWA), Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1934
- Completed:
- 1938
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Though Central Park was created in the 19th century by Olmsted and Vaux, the New Deal helped the Parks Department carry out massive improvements to the park from 1934 to 1938.
Work relief funds and labor were used to construct 4 1/2 miles of bridle paths in the park: one circling the Reservoir, one around the North Meadow and one at the southern end of the park. (www.kermitproject.org)
Source notes
https://www.kermitproject.org Rosenzweig, Roy, and Elizabeth Blackmar, The Park and the People: A History of Central Park, Cornell University Press (1992), pp.448-451. Caro, Robert A., The Power Broker - Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, Vintage Books (1974), pp.368-372. The Report of the Department of Parks to August 1934: Memorandum on 1935 Budget Request of the Department of Parks, NYC Department of Parks archive. New York City Parks Department photo archive, negative number 14257. https://www.kermitproject.org/newdeal/centralpark/bridlepath1.html https://www.kermitproject.org/newdeal/centralpark/greatlawn2.html https://www.kermitproject.org/newdeal/centralpark/northmeadow1.htmlSite originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on March 1, 2017.
At this Location:
- Central Park: Heckscher Playground Improvements - New York NY
- Central Park: Rumsey Playfield - New York NY
- Central Park: Arsenal Improvements - New York NY
- Central Park: Great Lawn - New York NY
- Central Park: Arsenal Murals - New York NY
- Central Park: North Meadow Ball Fields - New York NY
- Central Park: Tavern on the Green - New York NY
- Central Park: 107th Infantry Memorial Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Mother Goose Statue - New York NY
- Central Park: Model Boathouse - New York NY
- Central Park: Still Hunt Sculpture Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Columbus Monument Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Maine Monument Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Alice-in-Wonderland Sculpture - New York NY
- Central Park: James Michael Levin Playground - New York NY
Contribute to this Site
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.
Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site
Join the Conversation