DEPARTMENT OF PARKS. 211 



EARLY ENDEAVORS. 



The beauties of the Heights early attracted attention, and 

 some of the enterprising citizens brought the subject to the atten- 

 tion of the trustees of the village of Brooklyn, who, in 1826, 

 formally adopted a resolution, approving a plan of constructing 

 a park along the Brooklyn Heights, which was to be one hundred 

 and twenty feet wide, and on the edge of the hill. Hezekiah B. 

 Pierrepont originated the idea. The map was prepared, and the 

 enterprise would undoubtedly have been successful but for the 

 opposition of Judge Radcliff, who would not permit the taking 

 of his property for the purposes of a park, and thus a great enter- 

 prise unfortunately came to naught. 



In 1866 some of the people residing on the Heights thought 

 it would be a good idea to establish small parks at the ends of 

 the streets terminating on the Heights above Furman street. 

 They had a law enacted to accomplish that end. It was known 

 as an Act for the Improvement of Brooklyn Heights. It became 

 a law April 17, 1866, and is Chapter 644 of the laws of that year. 



Section 1 provided that John Greenwood, Henry E. Pierre- 

 pont, Jesse C. Smith, Peter C. Cornell, James Humphrey, Ethel- 

 bert S. Mills, Alfred M. Wood, and Fisher Howe, should be a 

 Board of Commissioners for the Improvement of Brooklyn 

 Heights. They were not to receive any compensation. The 

 power of the Commission was made perpetual by a provision 

 that in case of death or resignation, the remaining members could 

 fill the vacancy. 



Section 2 provided " that the lands in the First Ward in the 

 City of Brooklyn, which would be in Clark street, Pineapple 

 street, Orange street, Cranberry street and Middagh street, upon 

 the opening of such streets to Furman street, and which lie be- 

 tween said Furman street and Columbia street, are hereby de- 

 clared to be public places, and the same shall, when duly opened 

 under this Act, be under the control and management of the 

 Commissioners mentioned in the first section." 



The Board organized the first Monday in May, 1866, and pro- 

 ceeded to ornament the end of the streets by the erection of 

 fountains and the planting of trees and shrubbery. The original 



