﻿CONTRACT 
  

   With 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  Public 
  Parks 
  

  

  FOR 
  THE 
  OCCUPATION 
  OF 
  THE 
  NEW 
  BUILDING 
  

  

  This 
  Agreement, 
  made 
  and 
  concluded 
  on 
  the 
  twenty- 
  

   second 
  day 
  of 
  December, 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  one 
  thousand 
  eight 
  

   hundred 
  and 
  seventy-seven, 
  between 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  

   Public 
  Parks 
  of 
  the 
  City 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  the 
  party 
  of 
  the 
  

   first 
  part, 
  and 
  the 
  American 
  Museum 
  of 
  Natural 
  History, 
  

   party 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  part, 
  witnesseth 
  : 
  

  

  Whereas, 
  by 
  an 
  Act 
  of 
  the 
  Legislature 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  

   York, 
  passed 
  April 
  22d, 
  1876, 
  entitled 
  "An 
  Act 
  in 
  relation 
  

   to 
  the 
  powers 
  and 
  duties 
  of 
  the 
  Board 
  of 
  Commissioners 
  of 
  the 
  

   Department 
  of 
  Public 
  Parks, 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  American 
  

   Museum 
  of 
  Natural 
  History, 
  and 
  the 
  Metropolitan 
  Museum 
  

   of 
  Art," 
  the 
  said 
  party 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  part 
  is 
  authorized 
  and 
  

   directed 
  to 
  enter 
  into 
  a 
  contract 
  with 
  the 
  said 
  party 
  of 
  the 
  

   second 
  part, 
  for 
  the 
  occupation 
  by 
  it 
  of 
  the 
  buildings 
  erected 
  

   or 
  to 
  be 
  erected 
  on 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Central 
  Park 
  in 
  the 
  

   City 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  known 
  as 
  Manhattan 
  Square, 
  and 
  for 
  

   transferring 
  thereto 
  and 
  establishing 
  and 
  maintaining 
  therein 
  

   its 
  museum, 
  library 
  and 
  collections, 
  and 
  carrying 
  out 
  the 
  

   objects 
  and 
  purposes 
  of 
  said 
  party 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  part; 
  and, 
  

  

  Whereas, 
  a 
  building 
  contemplated 
  by 
  said 
  act 
  has 
  now 
  

   been 
  erected 
  and 
  nearly 
  completed 
  and 
  equipped 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  

   suitable 
  for 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  said 
  Museum, 
  as 
  provided 
  in 
  the 
  

   first 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  Act 
  of 
  May 
  15, 
  1875, 
  known 
  as 
  Chapter 
  

   351, 
  of 
  the 
  Laws 
  of 
  1875, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  establishing 
  and 
  

   maintaining 
  therein 
  the 
  said 
  Museum, 
  as 
  provided 
  by 
  the 
  said 
  

   last-named 
  act, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  Act 
  of 
  April 
  5, 
  187 
  1, 
  known 
  as 
  

   Chapter 
  290, 
  of 
  the 
  Laws 
  of 
  187 
  1; 
  and, 
  

  

  80 
  

  

  