SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT 



COMMISSIONERS OF PROSPECT PARK 



To the Common Council of the City of Brooklyn : 



The Board of Commissioners of Prospect Park, by their pre- 

 vious Reports, could do little more than present a dry detail of 

 the litigation which, in connection with the financial pressure of 

 the times, had prevented them from making any very definite 

 progress in the important work committed to their charge; and 

 to advise the legislation which appeared to be necessary to en- 

 able them to proceed satisfactorily, and with a reasonable as- 

 surance that they would ultimately meet the obvious demands 

 of the city in regard thereto. 



The views of the Board, in this respect, having been adopted 

 by the Legislature, at its last session, and the fearful strife which 

 desolated the laud and crippled its resources, being happily ter- 

 minated, the time for more active measures arrived, and the 

 Board proceeded to make the preliminary arrangements which 

 were necessary for entering upon the long delayed work of pro- 

 viding and opening a suitable place of recreation for our citi- 

 zens. For this purpose, a topographical survey of the ground 

 originally fixed upon, as a site for the park and its vicinity, was 

 made under the direction of Mr. Benjamin D. Frost and a com- 

 petent corps of assistants : with a preliminary report by Mr. 

 Vaux, suggesting a change of boundaries. A general plan of 

 laying out and improving the grounds has also been prepared 

 by Messrs. Olmsted & Vaux, landscape architects of acknowl- 

 edged taste and skill, and is now, together with an extended 

 report thereon, presented by those gentlemen, herewith submit- 

 ted for your consideration. 



