134 



PARKS 



of it is .i-vupied by a /milocrical Garden on a small 

 rale, while in another lua been erected the Metro- 

 iMiliiuii MM- \rt, win we collection of art objects 



ha* no equal, free to the public, in tin- country. 

 Among its treasure* an- the invaluable Cesnola collcc 

 lion of Cypriote an(ii|uitics and larec numbers of costly 

 paintings and -t int. -. m.-i nf winch have been re- 

 cently contributed to the Mux-um. Near this edifice 

 stands tin- Kiryptian U-lisk. a fine example of the 

 monolithic man el- of K^ynl. which wa brought from 

 its original Keat and erected in < Yntral I 'ark a few years 

 ago. To them attractions may be added the Museum 

 of tin- Natural History S ( ciety, erected on the edge 

 of the park, and well filled with geological and zoolog- 

 ical -p. dm >< 



In addition to Central Park tin: city of New York 

 possesses about 30 small breathing spaces, and the re- 

 cently laid out Riverside Park, which extends along 

 tin- North River t'nmi 7iM to li>9th street, and is nota- 

 ble as the site of Gen. Grant's tomb. Since the great 

 extension of the park idea in other cities, many propo- 

 sitions have been made with the view of providing 

 New York with parks on a larger scale. The topogra- 

 phy of the city did not accord well with this desire, 

 most of the suggested places being at distances out of 

 easy reach by the citizens. But the extension of the 

 elevated railroads has gone far to overcome this diffi- 

 culty, and a proposition has been adopted to lav out 

 a series of large parks on the mainland north of 

 Harlem River. The Legislature has authorized the 

 purchase of the necessary lain I. and the Commissioners 

 appointed to consider the subject reported in 1888 as 

 follows : It is proposed to purchase certain old estates. 

 comprising in all 3800 acres of land, at an estimated 

 cost of ty./WI.'.'r.l, being an average of $25iio per 

 acre. This territory divide.- ii|> naturally into five parks, 

 of which St. Mary's, the smallest and nearest the city, 

 contains but 25 acres. Van Cortland, the most emn-ai 

 of the new parks, will be of nearly 1 100 acres area, 

 anil is to have a rifle-range and a military parade- 

 ground. It contains that territory which formed the 

 "neutral ground" between the British and American 

 forces in the Revolution, and is the scene of Cooper's 

 novel of The Spy. Pelliam Park, the largest of the 

 group, is 1700 acres in extent, situate I on Ing Island 

 Sound outside the city limits, and will have a series of 

 drives for three miles along the water .-Me. ( 'niton 

 Park contains 135 acres of nigh land, which affords 

 many fine views. Bronx Park derives it.s name from 

 Bronx River, which runs through it. It is the most 

 picturesque of the series, having many old trees and 

 moss-clad rocks, while tin? hanks of the river are abrupt 

 and precipitous, and capahlc of effective handlinir. It 

 is designed to establish zoological and botanical gardens 

 on a large scale in these parks, and e-.iin.rt them by 

 parkways from 300 to 600 ft. wide, and kept in the 

 beet of condition as pleasure-driving roads. This 

 series of parks, if completed on the broad and gen- 

 erous plan designed, and made practically one by the 

 broad connecting boulevards mentioned, will place 

 New York at the head again in respect to park area, a 

 position which it has lost by the enterprise of other 



e'lti. - 



design of preserving the waters of the Schuylkill. the 

 drinking water of PhiladelphianB, from pollution. By 

 purchase and gift, extending from 1st) to 1867, a very 

 t land was gradually acquired. containing 

 in all L'Tln acres, and const it ut in- the largest civic 

 park in the world with the exception of the Kpping 

 and Windsor forests near London and the Prater at 

 Vienna. This tract of land is cxccpiionalK 

 adapted by nature for park imr|Hises. Instead of the 

 miniature lakes of other parks it embraces a section Si 

 miles { length of a broad and winding river, on which 

 steamboats convey pa enters to its most remote locali- 



ties. while innumerable pleasure-boats dot its surface. 

 The park embraces thei Icvated banks of the Sehuyl- 

 kill, and the rolling country for a considerable distance 

 back, through which cut a number of deep and pictur- 

 esque glens, traversed by rippling streams of water. 

 In addition there are many noble old trees and several 

 extended groves, the original site having been well 

 wooded. Between these extend broad stretches of 

 turf, while elevations of considerable height yield 

 magnificent views of city and country scenery, perhaps 

 unequalled for picturesque U-aut\ in any other park in 

 the world. Taken as a whole the natural attractions 

 of this section of the park are so decided that art has 

 been able to do little more than to open them up by 

 walks and drives to easy access, and nature has been 

 left in great part to her old possession of the ground. 



A unique feature of Fairmount Park is that known 

 as the \\ issahickon Clcii. Here through six miles of 

 length a picturesque stream flows Iwtwecn lofty, pre- 

 cipitous, and rugged banks, which are thickly clad 

 with forest trees, and present at every turn in the 

 winding ravine views of wild and romantic beauty. It 

 has many of the features of a mountain glen, in strong 

 contrast to the more quiet charms of the lower park, 

 and is a scenic clement without rival elsewhere in the 

 parks of the world. 



Pairnimint Park was the site of the great Centennial 

 Exposition of art and industry, to which 465 acres 

 were devoted, and which has lett as permanent adorn- 

 ments the ma i\e Memorial Building, with its treas- 

 ure of objects of industrial art, and the ornate Horti- 

 cultural Hall, which is surrounded by an extensive 

 landscape garden, and is filled with the choicest repre- 

 sentatives of tropical vegetation. Another feature of 

 inter, -t is the Zoological (Janlen. the largest and best 

 provided in the country, and the must attractive in the 

 artistic adornment of its ground*. 



Baltimore has been fortunate in securing in its Druid 

 Hill Park a most attractive locality, unsurpassed for 

 ita natural scenery, and diversified_ with dells, glens, 

 streams, lawns, and lakes, the native beauties of all 

 of which have been fully brought out by the skilful 

 handling of landscape artists. Druid Hill, acquired in 

 ISi'iO, was originally a In-autiful old wood, of 450 

 which has been added to till the park, now 

 embraces 693 acres. As modified and improved there 

 is no more attractive pleasure-ground, of its size, in 

 America. Recently, by the gift of a merchant, Balti- 

 more has acquired a new park, known as Patterson 

 Park, originally of 56 acres, but now increased to 112. 



Washington, the national capital, is well provided 

 with park facilities. The wheel-like or rather spider- 

 web character of the streets of that city has necessarily 

 left many small openings to which have been added 



In connection with the New York parks may be 

 named Prospect Park, of Brooklyn. This tract of j 

 land, of 550 acres in extent, was far better adapted by . ..... 



nature than Central Park for picturesque treatment, 'several tree-planted spaces of larger dimensions. But 

 and has been handled in such a manner as to make it a the chief park ground of Washington is that which 

 very attractive place of public resort Its fine views surrounds the Capitol and extends through the heart 

 are not the least of its attract ions. Recently a number of the city to the President's house, a refreshing ex- 

 of boulevards, 200 ft. wide, have been laid out, leadii. . hieh is but a step removed from the 



to the park from various direct i.. MS. principal avenue. This expanse is flat and devoid of 



Philadelphia is highly favored in possessing in Fair- natural beauty, and owes its main charm to the labors 

 mount Park the largest public pi. mod existing of the lani! lencr. but it has been rendered 



in any city on this continent, and in its natural adapta very attractive and is certainly very convenient of 

 lion to the purpose without an equal in any of the access t<. tin- tired Washingtonian. At one extremity 

 parks of the world. The original design of Fairmount it is adorned with the towering Washington Muiiu- 

 Park was utilitarian, the land being purchased with the . uicnt, while centrally situated arc the Smithsonian. 



