Public Parks. 23 



The following statistics show how the land is appropriated. 

 Area occupied by carriage roads 49 acres, 9 miles in length ; by 

 bridle roads 15 acres, 5 miles in length ; by walks 38 acres, 25-^ 

 miles in length ; making a total of 103 acres ; by rock surface, 

 mainly without soil or shrubbery, 24 acres ; by park ground fertilized 

 or chiefly fertilized, and in trees, shrubbery, or in open lawns, 

 exclusive of reservoirs, roads, walks, pads, rock surface, &c., 536 

 acres. 



The subjoined statistics show that the enhanced value of property, 

 by the laying out of such works is more than ample to meet the 

 interest on the cost of construction : 



Increased value of property in XII, XIX, and XXII 



Wards since 1856, $75,675,750.00 



The rate of tax for 1867 is 2.67, yielding in the 



increased valuation above stated an increased 



tax of $2,020,542.53 



The total expenditures for construction from May 



I, 1S57, to January I, 1868, is $5,185,299.11 



The cost of land of the Park to the City, is 5,028.844.10 



Total cost of Park up to this time, $10,214,143.21 



The annual interest on the cost of the land and 

 improvement of the Park up to this time at six 

 per cent $612,848.58 



Deduct one per cent, on $399,300 of the above 



stock, issued at five per cent $3,993.00 



$608,855.58 

 Excess of increased tax in three wards over 



interest in cost of land and improvements,. . . . $1,411,686.95 



These tables show an extraordinary rapidity of increase in the value of 

 the real estate in the upper portions of the Island — the Nineteenth Ward 

 being chiefly conspicuous for the advance in its value. This is not entirely, 

 but largely, attributable to the improvements of the Park.* 



The other public grounds in the city of New York are the 

 Battery, containing 30 acres ; City Hall Park, \o\ acres ; Washington 

 Parade Ground, 9^ acres ; Union Square, 4 acres ; Stuy^^esant Park, 4 

 acres ; Tompkins Square, iOtV acres ; Madison Square, 7 acres ; St. 

 John's Park, 4 acres ; Gramercy Park, i| acres : — making a total of 

 943 acres of ground devoted to park purposes in New York. It may 

 be said to the credit of the Central Park Commissioners, and in fact 

 this may be said with regard to all the different Park Commissioners 

 throughout the country, that although their expenditures have been 

 enormous, they have never been charged with dishonesty. 



* Eleventh A nnual Report of Commissioners of the Central Park. 



