6 REPORT OF THE 



Underbill, Culver, Zindel and Stuyvesant Parks are small ones 

 located on gore blocks, and protected by fences. Cooper Park, 

 of the same order, was virtually abandoned. In all combined, 

 there was an area of some eight hundred acres of land, to be 

 kept either in a state of cultivation or to be developed, together 

 with about fifteen miles of roads to be maintained for pleasure 

 driving. 



It was my good fortune to be able to secure a staff of compe- 

 tent assistants, among whom was Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted, 

 the first landscape architect in the country, and the original land- 

 scape designer of the Park system of Brooklyn. To facilitate 

 the work of the Department, I gave up the office in the City 

 Hall, and brought all the offices together in the " Litchfield 

 Mansion," Prospect Park. The result has been very beneficial. 



The beautifying of Prospect Park was taken up, and it was 

 decided to thoroughly clean up every section of it; to renew the 

 plantations ; to add to the variety of trees ; to prune, and to 

 remove iu a systematic manner the trees that were dead or decay- 

 ing ; to create picturesque bush and floral designs ; to put all 

 buildings in order ; to increase the area of lawns, and to com- 

 plete the entrances by the erection of fences and shelters. It 

 was also decided to decorate the entrances with bronze statuary. 

 This work has progressed finely. Every portion of the Park has 

 been cleaned up, many trees have been removed, and those 

 remaining have been properly trimmed. New trees have been 

 set out ; the lawn area has been increased ; new paths have been 

 created ; a fine nursery has been established for the growth of 

 bushes, vines and trees, for use in all the Parks; the small lakes 

 and streams have been cleaned ; the well and pumping station 

 have been renovated and put in perfect order, by the construc- 

 tion of a new well cover, the adding of fourteen feet to the 

 height of the chimney, the concreting of the walks, together 

 with the floor of the coal sheds ; the cleaning out of the pumps 

 and the repairing of the furnaces. Additional tool rooms have 

 been constructed ; the greenhouses have been enlarged ; the shed 



