Morningside Park is a
public park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to r ...
in
Upper Manhattan
Upper Manhattan is the most northern region of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its southern boundary has been variously defined, but some of the most common usages are 96th Street, the northern boundary of Central Park (110th Street), ...
, New York City. The park is bounded by
110th Street
110th Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is commonly known as the boundary between Harlem and Central Park, along which it is known as Central Park North. In the west, between Central Park West/Frederick Doug ...
to the south,
123rd Street to the north, Morningside Avenue to the east, and
Morningside Drive to the west. A cliff made of
Manhattan schist
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
runs through the park and separates
Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningside ...
, above the cliff to the west, from
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
. The park includes other
rock outcroppings; a man-made ornamental pond and waterfall; three sculptures; several athletic fields;
playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
s; and an
arboretum
An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...
. Morningside Park is operated by the
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolo ...
, although the group Friends of Morningside Park helps maintain it.
The area near Morningside Park was originally known as by the
Lenape
The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...
Native Americans in the
Delaware languages
The Delaware languages, also known as the Lenape languages ( del, Lënapei èlixsuwakàn), are Munsee and Unami, two closely related languages of the Eastern Algonquian subgroup of the Algonquian language family. Munsee and Unami, spoken abo ...
. A park in this location was first proposed by the
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
commissioners in 1867, and the city commissioned Central Park's designers
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...
and
Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux (; December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an English-American architect and landscape designer, best known as the co-designer, along with his protégé and junior partner Frederick Law Olmsted, of what would become New York Ci ...
to produce a design for the park in 1873.
Jacob Wrey Mould
Jacob Wrey Mould (7 August 1825 – 14 June 1886) was a British architect, illustrator, linguist and musician, noted for his contributions to the design and construction of New York City's Central Park. He was "instrumental" in bringing the Brit ...
was hired to design new plans in 1880, but little progress occurred until Olmsted and Vaux were asked to modify the plans following Mould's death in 1886. The ''Lafayette and Washington'', ''Carl Schurz Monument'', and ''Seligman Fountain'' sculptures were installed after the park was completed in 1895.
After a period of neglect in the early 20th century, the park received sporting fields and playgrounds between the 1930s and the 1950s.
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
proposed constructing a gym in the southern end of the park in the early 1960s; the plan was abandoned after
students organized protests against the gym in 1968, citing concerns over racial segregation. In the late 20th century, Morningside Park gained a reputation for high crime rates, and several groups devised plans to renovate the park. The site of the unbuilt Columbia gym was turned into a waterfall and pond in 1990, and the park's arboretum was added in 1998. The
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...
designated Morningside Park as a city landmark in 2008.
History
Site
![Morningside Park Willow Tree](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Morningside_Park_Willow_Tree.jpg)
Morningside Park straddles the more-than- cliff between the high terrain of Morningside Heights to the west and the lowlands of Harlem to the east.
The cliff was created through
fault movement and smoothed during several
glacial period
A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...
s in the last several million years.
Before the 17th century, when modern-day Manhattan was settled by Europeans, the region had been occupied by the
Lenape
The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...
Native Americans for several thousand years. The Lenape referred to the area near the park as or , meaning 'place of rushes'.
Dutch settlers occupied Manhattan in the early 17th century and called the area around Morningside Park , meaning 'peaceful dale'.
The lowlands to the east were called by the Dutch, and were later translated to "Flats" in English.
The land to the east was not settled initially because of its marshy topography.
The area became known as Montagne's (or Montayne's) Flat after Johannes de la Montagne, who was among the first European settlers of New
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
in 1658; he owned about between what is now 109th and 124th Streets.
The western boundary of the area was the cliff, while the eastern boundary was a creek that emptied east into the
East River
The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Quee ...
.
Montagne's Flat was subdivided into lots in 1662, and four years later a new charter for New Harlem was given to the English, who had
seized New Netherland, renaming it New York.
Through the 17th and 18th centuries, the cliff formed a geopolitical boundary between Harlem to the east and the heights to the west.
The western boundary of New Harlem was drawn through the present-day Morningside Park in 1666, running from
74th Street at the East River to 124th Street at the
North River (now the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
).
To the west of the line were the common lands of the
Province of New York
The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...
, which were sold to Jacob De Key in 1701.
Following Harman Vandewater's acquisition of part of the De Key farm by 1735,
it was called Vandewater Heights by 1738.
Vandewater Heights would then be sold by 1785 to James W. De Peyster.
There were disputes over the De Key farm throughout the 18th century, disputes which eventually resulted in the cliffside's being named as the farm's eastern boundary.
Meanwhile, Montagne's Flat was owned by several families in the 17th and 18th centuries, some of whom were slaveholders, according to censuses taken in 1790, 1800, and 1810.
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
colonial forces used a road on the farm to retreat during the September 16, 1776,
Battle of Harlem Heights
The Battle of Harlem Heights was fought during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The action took place on September 16, 1776, in what is now the Morningside Heights area and east into the future Harlem neigh ...
, one of the battles of the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.
In the
Commissioners' Plan of 1811
The Commissioners' Plan of 1811 was the original design for the streets of Manhattan above Houston Street and below 155th Street, which put in place the rectangular grid plan of streets and lots that has defined Manhattan on its march uptown ...
, which laid out a grid system for Manhattan island, little regard was given to the topography of the area.
Shortly afterward, during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...
, several
blockhouse
A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...
fortifications were built in the area.
The first such fort was built in what is now Central Park, and three other blockhouses numbered 2, 3, and 4 were erected within present-day Morningside Park.
The blockhouses at Morningside Park were along the cliff and were numbered from north to south: No. 2 at 113th–114th Streets, No. 3 at 121st Street, and No. 4 at 123rd Street.
These would not be used in battle and were left to deteriorate.
Morningside Heights would remain sparsely developed for the next half-century except for the
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum
The Bloomingdale Insane Asylum (1821–1889) was an American private hospital for the care of the mentally ill, founded by New York Hospital. It was located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, where Columbia U ...
and the
Leake and Watts Orphan Asylum.
Design and construction
Initial plans
![116 morningside ave](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/116_morningside_ave.JPG)
By 1866, the state legislature had given the Central Park commissioners the authority to construct streets on Manhattan's west side from 67th to 155th Streets.
In 1867, lead Central Park commissioner
Andrew Haswell Green
Andrew Haswell Green (October 6, 1820 – November 13, 1903) was a lawyer, New York City planner, and civic leader. He is considered "the Father of Greater New York," and is responsible for Central Park, the New York Public Library, the Bronx ...
proposed that a park be built in
Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningside ...
to avoid the expense of expanding the Manhattan street grid across extremely steep terrain.
Green enclosed a map by John J. Serrell that modified the Commissioners' Plan to this extent.
The Central Park commissioners passed an act on March 26, 1868, allowing the acquisition of lands for parks. Under this act, the commissioners purchased , and seized another through
eminent domain
Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...
, at a total cost of US$1.33 million.
In April 1870, the Central Park commission was dissolved and the
City of New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
obtained jurisdiction over the property.
That September, Department of Public Parks (DPP) chief engineer Montgomery A. Kellogg was asked to create a plan for Morningside Park.
Over the next year, the city would spend $5,500 to conduct surveys of the proposed parkland.
Kellogg presented a design for the park in October 1871.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said that the park's name was apt for it would "
ossessa sunny exposure in the early morning hours," and described the planned park as having "handsome walks, flower-beds, jetting fountains,
nda play-ground" among other things.
The ''Times'' predicted that the planned Morningside Park "will doubtless be a favorite resort for children and invalids."
Kellogg's plan was rejected by the Board of Commissioners for Public Parks.
In April 1872, the DPP created a committee to discuss possible upgrades to the street to the park's west side, and
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...
and
Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux (; December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an English-American architect and landscape designer, best known as the co-designer, along with his protégé and junior partner Frederick Law Olmsted, of what would become New York Ci ...
, who had designed Central Park's
Greensward Plan
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 ...
, were commissioned to produce a design for the park.
In a September 1872 article, the ''Times'' predicted that the construction of Morningside Park and its proximity to Broadway and Central Park would raise property values nearby. Talk of a preliminary study and map began circulating in March 1873.
By that September, Olmsted was assigned to work exclusively on Morningside Park, and he was dropped from his position as superintendent of other parks. Olmsted and Vaux presented their plan, "A Preliminary Report on the Improvement of Morningside Park", to the DPP on October 11, 1873.
Because of the limitations of the terrain, the proposed design would emphasize scenery, with balconies, a planted lagoon, a lawn at the north end of the park, and a retaining wall with stairways. The design also took into consideration the site's proximity to Central Park, one block away from the southern end of the proposed Morningside Park.
The work would cost about $816,000.
Five days after the plan was presented, the DPP approved it "in principle".
Beginning of construction
![Morningside Park 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Morningside_Park_01.jpg)
Owing to several factors, including work stoppages following the
economic depression
An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economical downturn that is result of lowered economic activity in one major or more national economies. Economic depression maybe related to one specific country were there is some economic ...
after the
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the ...
, construction on Morningside Park stagnated for 14 years.
Nevertheless, work began in 1873, construction progressing on the walks and perimeter walls, as well as on the sewers and lagoon.
When work was halted in October 1874, the sewer, pond, walks, and embankments were under construction.
A ''Times'' article in April 1875 noted that the city's Department of Public Works was laying roads and sidewalks west and east of the park.
Little work was performed in the next five years, except for the construction of roads.
On June 16, 1880, the Legislature passed a law allowing the city's Department of Public Works to finish the roads, sidewalks, and retaining walls near Morningside Park.
That September, the Legislature appointed
Jacob Wrey Mould
Jacob Wrey Mould (7 August 1825 – 14 June 1886) was a British architect, illustrator, linguist and musician, noted for his contributions to the design and construction of New York City's Central Park. He was "instrumental" in bringing the Brit ...
, who had previously been involved in Central Park's design, as the new architect of Morningside Park. Mould submitted a plan for the streets in April 1881. The proposal, which was to cost $234,000, called for eleven entrances;
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
stairs; a
retaining wall
Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides.
Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to ...
at
Morningside Drive, made of
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...
and
ashlar
Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...
;
overlook balconies; and railings of granite and cast-and wrought-iron.
The plans were approved in August 1881. Mould's final plans for the western side of the park were submitted in September 1882 and plans for the northern, eastern, and southern sides were approved the next month.
In January 1883, Julius Munckwitz was asked to create plans for Morningside Park, and Mould was named as his assistant. After Munckwitz's plans were submitted that March, Montgomery A. Kelloggthe DPP chief engineer who had been promoted to engineer of constructionworked on completing the measurements. Contracts for the foundations were awarded in April, while contracts for the western side's entrances and overlooks were awarded to Charles Jones that July. Jones began work on the western border in November 1883 and completed his contract nearly a year later. Meanwhile, in January 1884, Munckwitz began preparing plans for the western steps and entrances, which were approved that October.
The ''Times'' reported in December 1884 that over $71,000 was needed for the park. Though Munckwitz quit the DPP in mid-1885, he continued working with the project as a consultant.
By February 1885, the stairways on the western border at 110th, 116th, and 120th Streets were being built. That May, Michael McGrath won a contract to build granite steps, brick arches, and other ornamentation at the 110th and 116th Street entrances on the western border and at four intermediate overlook bays.
The park was still in a rural state, as indicated in the ''Times'' that same year, which reported that police were capturing cows for illegally grazing in the park and fining local dairymen for pasturing their herds. Following this, the DPP ordered that all signs and other "defacements" be removed from the park site. By mid-1886, several local entities were expressing frustration at the lack of progress at Morningside Park. For instance, the Morningside Park Association twice requested that action be taken to complete the park.
After Mould died in 1886, the DPP needed to hire a new architect for Morningside Park.
Kellogg submitted new plans for $250,000 worth of park improvements in February 1887, at which point the ''Times'' reported that only the 116th Street staircase and part of the retaining wall had been completed over the previous fourteen years. These plans were ultimately approved.
Final plans and completion
In June 1887, the DPP asked Olmsted to create informal plans for Central, Morningside, and
Riverside Parks. In response, Olmsted said he would do so only if Vaux was also hired.
Ultimately, Olmsted's proposal was voted down, and Kellogg and city parks superintendent
Samuel Parsons
Samuel Bowne Parsons Jr. (8 February 1844 – 3 February 1923), was an American landscape architect. He is remembered as being a founder of the American Society of Landscape Architects, helping to establish the profession.
Early years
Parsons w ...
were asked to report on Olmsted and Vaux's original plan instead.
In July, a group of
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
veterans stayed in the park during the Independence Day weekend, hosting a
historical reenactment
Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or ...
in which they fired cannons and pretended to storm the blockhouse walls.
Though Parsons and Kellogg presented their proposed changes in August 1887, which they believed were feasible with the available $250,000 appropriation, local property owners asked that the original plan be used instead.
Later that month, the board voted to let Olmsted and Vaux work on the plan.
The plan was modified to accommodate changed conditions, like the construction of an
elevated railway
An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train for short) is a rapid transit railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks ...
station at
116th Street and Eighth Avenue.
Among other changes, the modified design included a broad path and a thin path traversing the lower portion of the park.
Initially, Olmsted and Vaux had proposed a southeastern entrance plaza, a lagoon, and an exhibition hall; the modified design eliminated these, while adding a lawn and a "Restawhile" recreation structure.
Olmsted and Vaux had differing visions for Morningside Park: Olmsted believed the area should be kept naturalistic, and advocated the removal of all except one east–west path, while Vaux did not believe that paths would negatively affect the park's purpose.
The "General Plan for the Improvement of Morningside Park" was approved by the DPP in October 1887,
and a request for $250,000 in bonds was approved by the Board of Estimate the following month.
![Morningside Park, NYC (2014) - 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Morningside_Park%2C_NYC_%282014%29_-_2.JPG)
In mid-1888, contracts were awarded for earth and rock filling, and for the construction of basins, walls, and stairs in the southern portion of the park. Vaux suggested widening the roadbed and narrowing the eastern sidewalk of Morningside Drive, on the western side of the park. Further appropriations of $50,000 each were requested in September 1888 and March 1889. Subsequently, Vaux's suggestion to modify Morningside Drive was approved in July 1889, as was Kellogg's request for asphalt, concrete, and gravel for pavings.
That September, the DPP voted to proceed with the completion of stairs and overlooks at Morningside Avenue north of 117th Street, in the same design as those built previously. Stairs and walls were finished that December. Further plans, approved in early 1890, called for the completion of the western entrances and overlooks, and the installation of railings and ornamentation.
By December 1890, the ''Real Estate Record and Builders Guide'' reported that the work was almost done. The ''Guide'' said of the park, "It is not very wide, but it is some three-quarters of a mile in length. It has hills and dales and green swards, which, with its imposing terraces, make it peculiarly attractive." Morningside Park was even considered briefly for the
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
of 1893, which ultimately occurred in Chicago.
Plans for walls and railings at 110th Street (the southern border) and Morningside Drive (the western border) were approved in October 1890,
followed by the awarding of a contract for them in February 1892.
Because of delays in constructing the steps, two time extensions were awarded in August and October 1891. Meanwhile, pavings were completed in May 1891 and the parapets were finished the following December. By June 1894, parks superintendent Parsons had noted that parts of the park were nearly completed.
That October, contracts were awarded for the paving of sidewalks.
The park's construction was completed in 1895. Vaux, who had remained with the project throughout that time as a consultant, drowned that year in
Gravesend Bay
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is the ...
. Parsons later wrote that "...perhaps Morningside Park was the most consummate piece of art that
auxhad ever created."
The completion of Morningside Park was concurrent with the development of nearby Morningside Heights; the park's construction had necessarily resulted in the creation of the neighborhood's street grid, and several institutions relocated to the area.
The first of these included the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhood ...
whose construction began in 1892 on the site of the Leake and Watts Orphan Asylum.
The Bloomingside Asylum moved out of the area in 1888 after protests over the asylum's presence,
and three colleges moved to the site:
Columbia College (now part of
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
),
Teachers College
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...
, and
Barnard College
Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...
. Other institutions that moved to Morningside Heights following the park's completion included:
St. Luke's Hospital, the former Home for Old Men and Aged Couples; St. Luke's Home for Indigent Christian Females; the former Woman's Hospital;
Union Theological Seminary; and the
Church of Notre Dame (L'Eglise de Notre Dame).
Early and mid-20th centuries
Several sculptures and structures were installed in Morningside Park after it was completed.
In 1900, the statue ''Lafayette and Washington'' by
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi ( , ; 2 August 1834 – 4 October 1904) was a French sculptor and painter. He is best known for designing ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', commonly known as the Statue of Liberty.
Early life and education
Barthold ...
was installed at the park's eastern border, within the triangle bounded by Manhattan Avenue, Morningside Avenue and 114th Street.
At the time, only one structure had been built in the park, a wooden shanty for tool storage. In 1901, a "women's cottage and refreshment room" was approved along with a $8,250 appropriation for it, and the following year
Barney and Chapman
Barney and Chapman was an American architecture firm based in New York, active from about 1892 through 1908. The partnership designed significant municipal buildings, churches, private estates, and an asylum complex for the state of New York.
Jo ...
proposed an ornate outhouse in the
French Gothic
French Gothic architecture is an architectural style which emerged in France in 1140, and was dominant until the mid-16th century. The most notable examples are the great Gothic cathedrals of France, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims Cathedra ...
style containing a tower with space for tool storage.
Ultimately, a simpler one-story restroom structure was erected in 1904, at a site on 114th Street that had been the original location proposed for the "Restawhile".
Many residents and neighborhood organizations strongly opposed an oval stadium, proposed between 118th and 120th Streets in 1909,
and the idea was eventually scrapped.
In 1913, the ''Carl Schurz Memorial'' by
Karl Bitter
Karl Theodore Francis Bitter (December 6, 1867 – April 9, 1915) was an Austrian-born American sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials and residential work.
Life and career
The son of Carl and Henrietta Bitter, he was ...
and
Henry Bacon was placed in the park, followed the next year by Edgar Walter's ''Seligman (Bear and Faun) Fountain''.
Morningside Park quickly began to deteriorate, and complaints of vandalism were recorded as early as 1905. The sidewalks around the park were paved in 1911.
When the city proposed to "popularize" Central Park in 1911, local residents complained that Morningside Park had been neglected, was crime-ridden, and had declined because of its use as a playground as opposed to a passive-recreation space.
New York City parks commissioner
Charles B. Stover stated that the park's issues, which included hillside erosion and lawn damage, were because the southern area had not been outfitted with proper drainage. Further erosion and deterioration was caused by a large
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Many ...
celebration in 1912, the erosion of the cliff near Blockhouse No. 4 in 1913, and the destruction of part of the overhanging cliff rock in 1915.
A request for $94,500 toward Morningside Park's renovation was made in 1914, and by 1916, protests had resulted in the reported completion of the renovation.
Also in 1914, a fence was installed around part of the park.
Further controversy developed in the mid-1910s because of the proposed construction of a
Catskill Aqueduct
The Catskill Aqueduct, part of the New York City water supply system, brings water from the Catskill Mountains to Yonkers where it connects to other parts of the system.
History
Construction commenced in 1907. The aqueduct proper was completed ...
pumping station within the park. While a temporary structure had existed in the park since at least the early 1910s,
the
New York Board of Water Supply began construction of a steel-frame pumping station in January 1916. The plans were not public, and had not been authorized by either the
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolo ...
(NYC Parks), the
New York City Board of Aldermen
The New York City Board of Aldermen was a body that was the upper house of New York City's Common Council from 1824 to 1875, the lower house of its Municipal Assembly upon consolidation in 1898 until the charter was amended in 1901 to abolish ...
, or the Municipal Art Commission.
Once the public learned of plans for the structure, several civil engineers and associations organized opposition to the project.
The sculptor,
Gutzon Borglum
John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Mountain in Georg ...
, filed a lawsuit to stop construction of the pump building that February. Shortly afterward,
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
justice
Edward R. Finch issued an
injunction
An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in p ...
to stop the project temporarily, citing the project's status as an "illegal encroachment". Ultimately, the Board of Water Supply applied for a permanent pumping station, though in July 1916 the Board of Aldermen voted instead to build an underground pump structure.
Improvements to Morningside Park were also conducted from the 1920s through the 1960s. In its annual report of 1929, NYC Parks reported that much of the vegetation had to be replanted because of neglect or vandalism. By the mid-20th century, Morningside Park was perceived as dangerous. Because of its proximity to Harlem, a largely Black neighborhood, crime in the park was perceived as signs of a racial conflict.
In 1935 ''The New York Times'' reported that the Teachers College of Columbia University had posted a sign in a dormitory informing students "it is not safe to enter Morningside Park at any time of the day or night."
The ''Times'' also reported residents were concerned that "unemployed destitute" individuals posed a danger to the park's safety.
A playground and comfort station was added between 113th and 114th Streets on the east side of Morningside Park in November 1935; the 113th–114th Streets comfort station was replaced by 1945.
A polygonal comfort station was proposed for the southeastern corner of the park in 1936 but was not built. A playground at the northeastern corner of Morningside Park was also constructed in 1935; it was expanded with extra equipment in 1941, including athletic courts, a wading pool, exercise structure, swings, slides, and a children's play area.
Also, by 1941, rock outcroppings on the south lawn were removed to make way for
softball
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
fields.
During this era, a proposal to rename Morningside Park to "
Franz Boas
Franz Uri Boas (July 9, 1858 – December 21, 1942) was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the movements known as historical ...
Park" was rejected by parks commissioner
Robert Moses
Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid 20th century. Despite never being elected to any office, Moses is regarded ...
. The 1904 restroom structure was demolished in 1952, except for its western wall, at which point jagged-topped stone barriers were erected next to paths in the park. Two years later, the bronze railings on the western and southern borders were replaced with iron
picket fence
Picket fences are a type of fence often used decoratively for domestic boundaries, distinguished by their evenly spaced vertical boards, the ''pickets'', attached to horizontal rails. Picket fences are particularly popular in the United States, ...
s. A playground on Morningside Avenue between 116th and 119th Streets was finished in 1956, while sandboxes were installed on the Morningside Drive overlook balconies the next year. The wrought-iron fence on the eastern border was replaced, and the park's hillside restored, in 1962.
1950s and 1960s controversies
Columbia athletic complex
![Morningside Park Aug 2019 73](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Morningside_Park_Aug_2019_73.jpg)
In a 1955 piece in the ''Times'', one observer noted, "the park was virtually off-bounds to
olumbia Universitystudents and faculty as "too dangerous". At the time, parks commissioner Moses and Columbia president
Grayson L. Kirk
Grayson Louis Kirk (October 12, 1903 – November 21, 1997) was an American political scientist who served as president of Columbia University during the Columbia University protests of 1968. He was also an advisor to the State Department a ...
were discussing allowing Columbia to use part of Morningside Park.
The plan was approved by the
New York City Board of Estimate
The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City responsible for numerous areas of municipal policy and decisions, including the city budget, land-use, contracts, franchises, and water rates. Under the amendments effec ...
in December 1955,
and soon after, Moses and Manhattan borough president
Hulan Jack announced that Columbia would build a comfort station/field house, storage building, and athletic complex on a section of the park. The athletic complex contained two fields for softball, three for football, and one for soccer and was opened in May 1957. The arrangement between Columbia and the city stipulated that the university would be the sole user of the complex during weekdays between June and October, while it would be open to the public at other times.
The fields soon became popular with neighborhood residents. In 1961, new lighting was installed in the southern section of Morningside Park to deter crime.
More controversial was Columbia's proposal in January 1960 to erect a building to the north of the athletic fields.
The structure, on a plot, would have an upper level to be used as a Columbia
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
and a lower level
community center
Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole c ...
. The complex was supported by Moses, Mayor
Robert F. Wagner Jr., and the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model, the performance of ...
. A 50-year lease was approved in March 1960, signed in August, and accepted by the Board of Estimate.
The structure was to cost $9 million, of which $1 million was donated in May 1962 by alumnus
Francis S. Levien. The project faced some opposition by 1964 because of Columbia's rapid expansion. Some residents denounced the proposed Morningside Park construction as a "land grab", while others protested the proposed
gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ...
that would accompany such expansion. Subsequently, in March 1964, neighborhood associations and officials toured the park to demonstrate its deteriorated conditions and need for funding, and to show that it was safe.
Thomas Hoving
Thomas Pearsall Field Hoving (January 15, 1931 – December 10, 2009) was an American museum executive and consultant and the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Early life
He was born in New York City to Walter Hoving, the head of Ti ...
, one of the parks commissioners who succeeded Moses, said in January 1966 that he was "pretty damned upset" about the deal because it would perpetuate
segregation Segregation may refer to:
Separation of people
* Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space
* School segregation
* Housing segregation
* Racial segregation, separation of humans ...
. The planned separate east and west entrances were seen as an attempt to circumvent the
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requi ...
, which banned racially segregated facilities, as Morningside Heights' population was largely white while Harlem's was largely Black.
The University's administration under
Grayson Kirk
Grayson Louis Kirk (October 12, 1903 – November 21, 1997) was an American political scientist who served as president of Columbia University during the Columbia University protests of 1968. He was also an advisor to the State Department and ...
denied that this reflected racial bias and stressed that greater park services would benefit the Harlem community.
In March 1966, the University's student council passed a resolution asking the University to reconsider the gym plans, and two months later, bills to ban its construction were introduced in the
State Senate
A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
and
Assembly. That October, Columbia announced it would suspend groundbreaking for the gym until the following year, and by May 1967, university officials were considering changing the plans. Unsatisfied, protesters picketed outside Kirk's home that July, while Harlem officials decried a proposed compromise to build a community
swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
instead. Undeterred, the Board of Estimate voted to approve the plans in October 1967, and despite further protests that November, construction began in February 1968. At the time, ''The New York Times'' architecture writer
Ada Louise Huxtable
Ada Louise Huxtable (née Landman; March 14, 1921 – January 7, 2013) was an architecture critic and writer on architecture. Huxtable established architecture and urban design journalism in North America and raised the public's awareness of th ...
said, "the real tragedy of the whole Columbia gym affair is that this dubious and even harmful project has been carried out in good faith."
Columbia students and faculty amplified their opposition to the gym project in mid-1968, resulting in
major student protests. That April, the faculty of the
called on Kirk and the trustees to reconsider the gym. Student organizations such as
Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a national student activist organization in the United States during the 1960s, and was one of the principal representations of the New Left. Disdaining permanent leaders, hierarchical relationships ...
and the Student Afro-American Society held "sit-ins", and Mayor
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
requested that work be suspended while the protests were ongoing.
Students occupied administration and classroom buildings and shut down the university for several weeks.
The Columbia faculty formed a committee to intervene after a large 2,500-person protest on April 30, which involved a
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act i ...
raid at several buildings. Meanwhile, parks commissioner
August Heckscher II
August Heckscher II (September 16, 1913 – April 5, 1997) was an American public intellectual and author whose work explored the American liberalism of political leaders including Woodrow Wilson.
Early life
Heckscher was born in Huntington ...
said that if Columbia was to drop its plans, he would have a community recreation center built at the site. The same month, $500,000 was allocated for restorations to the park, and the new Morningside Park Preservation Committee filed a lawsuit alleging the misuse of parkland.
Kirk resigned in August 1968 because of the protests and was replaced as Columbia president by
Andrew W. Cordier
Andrew Wellington Cordier (March 1, 1901 – July 11, 1975) was a United Nations official and President of Columbia University.
Early life
Cordier was born on a farm near Canton, Ohio and attended high school in Hartville, Ohio where he became q ...
. Under his leadership, Columbia's trustees studied possible new sites for the gym before voting in March 1969 to cancel the project altogether.
Elementary school
![South end of Morningside Park 2017 Feb jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/South_end_of_Morningside_Park_2017_Feb_jeh.jpg)
At the same time as the Columbia controversy, another dispute arose after the New York State Legislature designated the northwestern corner of Morningside Park as the site of a public elementary school in 1963. Both Mayor Wagner and borough president
Edward R. Dudley supported this initiative; Dudley said the site was "rubbish-strewn and a danger spot for children", even though the Municipal Art Commission argued it was atop the ruins of Blockhouse No. 4.
After the City Planning Commission proposed another site several blocks to the east, neighborhood groups alleged the plan would further segregation since the mostly minority population of Harlem would be unable to reach the school. Other neighborhood groups opposed the use of Morningside Park for anything other than recreational use. The City Planning Commission's chairman recommended that the proposed school site at Morningside Park be disapproved, but in February 1964, the Board of Estimate approved the plan anyway and rezoned from parkland to educational use.
Frederick G. Frost, Jr. & Associates designed the structure, known as 36 Margaret Douglas Elementary School, as a concrete-and-brick educational complex atop a stone base and rock outcroppings. The school was built between 1965 and 1966 and was the first in the city designed solely for early elementary grades, serving kindergarten through second grade.
Cleanup and renovations
Late 20th century
![Morningside Park - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Morningside_Park_-_panoramio.jpg)
Even by the 1960s, Morningside Park had a reputation for being unsafe and unsanitary.
After the Columbia protests ended, Morningside Park was the site of several murders, muggings, and other crimes, furthering its notoriety. Litter lined the park, and it became a frequent homeless hangout.
So common were crimes there that Morningside Heights residents nicknamed it "Muggingside Park". In 1971, after the controversy over the now-canceled Columbia site had subsided, NYC Parks published its "Proposed Rehabilitation of Columbia Gym Site", which called for a playground on the site's eastern edge and new paths on the western side. It was reported that Columbia had agreed to pay compensation for the demolition that had occurred in the park.
This resulted in the formation of the West Harlem Coalition for Morningside Park.
Advocates started focusing on Morningside Park and Olmsted's other parks in 1972, the 150th anniversary of his birth. The West Harlem Coalition hired
Lawrence Halprin
Lawrence Halprin (July 1, 1916 – October 25, 2009) was an American landscape architect, designer and teacher.
Beginning his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, in 1949, Halprin often collaborated with a local circle of modernist a ...
Associates in 1973, but plans for renovating Morningside Park were postponed after the
1975 New York City fiscal crisis
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. Ha ...
.
Huxtable wrote in the ''Times'', "Morningside Park may now be the city’s most crime-ridden, underutilized and dangerous spot." More than a decade after the Columbia gym plan was canceled, the construction fencing remained on the site.
The state's
department of parks was in talks with Bond, Ryder and Associates for a “redevelopment design” of Morningside Park by 1978 with the West Harlem Community Organization and Morningside Park Coalition participating in the redesign process.
In 1981, as part of the "Olmsted Project", the
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...
(LPC) held two shows that depicted Morningside Park, including a
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
exhibit.
At that time, Morningside Park was being considered by the LPC for "scenic landmark" status, but this was opposed by residents and activists wanted to redesign the park.
The same year, Thomas Kiel and other Columbia undergraduates founded the Friends of Morningside Park, which supported returning the park to its original design.
![Morningside Park Aug 2019 63](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Morningside_Park_Aug_2019_63.jpg)
NYC Parks drew up plans for a $12 million restoration of the park between 1987 and 1989. At that point, Columbia had given $250,000 toward the renovation, half of what it had pledged toward the restoration of the site.
A $5 million first phase began in early 1989 and was conducted by a partnership of Quennell Rothschild Associates and Bond Ryder James.
It entailed converting the excavated crater left by the abandoned gymnasium project into a waterfall and ornamental pond,
which was the first part of the renovation to be completed in 1989.
The pond, part of Olmsted and Vaux's original plan, cost $950,000, about three times as much as "standard landscaping". Contractors installed wells to feed the waterfall and the pond.
The reconstruction, which focused on the park between
110th and 114th Streets, also included installing new playground equipment, planting trees, creating a picnic area and renovating the sports fields.
The 1957 fieldhouse was also redesigned, and a new entrance was installed at 113th Street and Morningside Drive. This renovation was completed in 1993.
There was little funding to perform further renovations at the northern part of Morningside Park then, and there was just one maintenance worker for the entire park.
As a result, the northern part of the park was still overgrown with weeds and frequented by drug addicts.
NYC Parks began a renovation of the 116th Street stairs in July 1996 and completed it two years later at a cost of $650,000.
After the statues were refurbished, the
bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:
* basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
* dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
* felds ...
steps at 116th Street were renovated in 1998. The same year, construction began on the Dr. Thomas Kiel
Arboretum
An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...
in the northern part of the park, named after a founder and former chairman of the Friends of Morningside Park who had died in 1996.
In 1998 and 1999, the Morningside Area Alliance (MAA), a neighborhood community group, received $35,000 in grant funding from the
Kaplan Foundation
Gilbert Edmund Kaplan (March 3, 1941 – January 1, 2016) was an American businessman and financial publisher. He was also an aficionado of the music of Gustav Mahler, and an amateur conductor of Mahler's Symphony No. 2.
Career
Kaplan was born a ...
to work on the park. A portion was used to assess what the park needed done most urgently, while a second portion went to restructure the largely disorganized Friends volunteer group.
The resulting "revitalization plan" suggested further maintenance and capital improvements and enhancements to its character and appearance. The study also found there was still a widespread perception of danger, and that the park needed additional security measures and better management.
21st century
By 2001, Morningside Park's condition had improved somewhat because of ongoing reconstruction projects, and it was no longer considered as dangerous an area as it had been in the 1970s.
Several stairs and entrances were rebuilt, including at or near 114th, 116th, 120th, and 122nd Streets, and playgrounds to the south of the ball fields and at the park's northeast corner were renovated. The ball fields and northern section's scenery were restored in 2006, and construction began on a playground north of 116th Street in 2007.
This playground was completed in late 2008.
Morningside Park was designated a New York City landmark in 2008, decades after similar statuses had been conferred upon Central and Riverside Parks.
Since then, several other improvements have taken place; in 2009, more trees were planted, including a
sequoia tree. Two years later, NYC Parks presented a plan to restore the northern section, including the playground there, known as the 123rd Street Playground. The playground was renovated in two phases: in 2013 and in 2019. Furthermore, the 118th Street Playground was rebuilt between December 2019 and March 2021. The area around Morningside Park, once a desolate area with a reputation for being crime-ridden, had become gentrified by the 2010s.
Fears of crime remained, especially after 18-year-old Barnard College student
Tessa Majors
Tessa is a feminine given name, sometimes a shortened form of Theresa. It may refer to: People
* Tessa Albertson (born 1996), American actress
* Tessa Balfour, Countess of Balfour (born 1950), British aristocrat
* Tessa Blanchard (born 1994), Ame ...
was fatally stabbed in a late-2019 mugging within the park. Columbia University student Davide Giri was fatally stabbed nearby in 2021 in what ''The New York Times'' called "an eerie reprise" of Majors's death.
Features
Recreational features
![Morningside Park Aug 2019 10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Morningside_Park_Aug_2019_10.jpg)
Morningside Park contains several sporting fields. Two baseball fields and a basketball court are at the southern end of the park. Three other basketball courts are near the central portion of Morningside Park. To the north are two basketball courts and four handball courts. There are also children's play structures at 110th, 113th, 116th, 118th, and 123rd Streets at the bottom of the cliff, and a restroom at 123rd Street.
Morningside Dog Run is an enclosed space for dog owners to bring their dogs to play. Consisting primarily of wood chips over dirt, there are two fenced-in areas. The larger section has multiple levels, separated by a step. The dog run is most easily accessible from the east at 114th Street and from the west at either 114th or 116th Streets.
There is also a barbecue area at 121st Street.
The Kiel Arboretum is in the northern section of the park from 116th to 121st Streets.
The design of the arboretum was based on original plans for Central Park sketched by Olmsted and Vaux in 1858. While later abandoned, these arboretum plans involved paths leading through several hundred species of trees and shrubs. The plans re-emerged when the Kiel Arboretum was built in 1998. Plantings of trees from the
Magnoliaceae
The Magnoliaceae () are a flowering plant family, the magnolia family, in the order Magnoliales. It consists of two genera: ''Magnolia'' and '' Liriodendron'' (tulip trees).
Unlike most angiosperms, whose flower parts are in whorls (rings), t ...
(
magnolia
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...
) family and shrubs from the
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...
(
buttercup
''Ranunculus'' is a large genus of about almost 1700 to more than 1800 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots.
The genus is distributed in Europe, ...
) and
Berberidaceae
The Berberidaceae are a family of 18 genera of flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order Ranunculales. The family contains about 700 known species, of which the majority are in ''Berberis''. The species ...
(
barberry
''Berberis'' (), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South Amer ...
) families were used to start the tree collection.
Over the years, several playgrounds have been constructed at Morningside Park;
there are four playgrounds within the park.
The first one, at the bottom of the stairs at 114th Street, was built in 1903–1904 and demolished in 1952.
A playground in the northeast corner was constructed in 1935 and renovated in 1941;
it was restored several more times, including in 1992 and 2000.
Another playground, built in 1955–1956 at Morningside Avenue between 116th and 119th Streets, contains facilities such as shuffleboard and basketball courts, and a playground with a wading pool, swings, slides, and a sandbox.
A third play area at 113th Street contains play equipment, while a fourth facility is at 110th Street.
In 2008, a new playground opened within the park at 116th Street,
replacing part of the playground between 116th and 119th Streets.
Geology and topography
![Morningside Park from Carl Schurz Monument looking south](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Morningside_Park_from_Carl_Schurz_Monument_looking_south.jpg)
Morningside Park's distinctive natural geography is a rugged cliff of
Manhattan schist
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
rock.
The geology is similar to that of Central Park and contains, from top to bottom: Manhattan schist, metamorphosed
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
; Lowerre
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...
, a metamorphosed rock;
Inwood marble
Tuckahoe marble (also known as Inwood and Westchester marble) is a type of marble found in southern New York state and western Connecticut. Part of the Inwood Formation of the Manhattan Prong, it dates from the Late Cambrian to the Early Ordovic ...
, metamorphosed
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...
which overlays the gneiss; and
Fordham gneiss, an older deeper layer.
A large rock formation of Manhattan schist in the park is a visible sign of the bedrock below much of lower and northern Manhattan. Rock
outcrop
An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth.
Features
Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficia ...
pings are prevalent in Morningside Park and nearby Central Park,
Marcus Garvey Park
Marcus Garvey Park (formerly and also named Mount Morris Park) is a park on the border between the Harlem and East Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan, New York City. The park, centered on a massive and steep outcropping of schist, interrupts th ...
, and Riverside Park. Besides the cliff, one large geological feature that remains is a
glacial groove at 121st Street,
which had been noted as early as 1916. The western border of the park between 122nd and 123rd Streets is taken up by 36, on a rock drop off; this occupies the former site of the ruins of Blockhouse No. 4, which was used as a source of stone until the park's creation. A tablet was placed on the site by the Women's Auxiliary of the
American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society
The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society was created in 1895 as New York’s first organized preservation lobby. The Society operated as a national organization to protect the natural scenery and the preservation of historic landmark ...
in 1904. Furthermore, part of the cliff was destroyed in 1915.
A plateau, on the eastern side of the park, was mostly demolished during the failed Columbia University gym construction project.
Today, the site includes a waterfall and a pond, built between 1989 and 1993.
The waterfall is artificial and uses water pumped using motors from the city's water system. The pond has been frequented by several species of birds, including
great blue heron
The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos I ...
s, night herons,
red-winged blackbird
The red-winged blackbird (''Agelaius phoeniceus'') is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North America and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and G ...
s,
painted turtle
The painted turtle (''Chrysemys picta'') is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They have been shown to prefer l ...
s, and
mallard duck
The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced species, introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Bra ...
s.
The park also contained meadows when it was constructed. These were at the south end from 110th to 114th Streets; in the central section from 116th to 120th Streets; and at the northeast corner. They were developed as playgrounds and playing fields in the mid-20th century and the rock outcroppings were destroyed. The central and northern meadows were redeveloped as playgrounds while the southern meadow was converted to sports fields.
Paths and plantings
Morningside Park was designed with many paths and plantings. The paths usually followed the topography, though there are several locations where stone steps connect paths at different locations. There are stone stairs connecting the two portions of 120th Street, and between 116th Street on the west side of the park and 114th Street on the east side.
The paths were made originally of gravel, concrete, and asphalt, while the stairs were made of bluestone with rockwork edging on the outer portions. Benches, lights, railings, fences, and stone walls were added over the years; the rockwork edging was replaced. The northern meadow's paths were rebuilt in 1940–1941, while the paths around 36 and the unbuilt Columbia gym were reconfigured or removed in the late 1960s. With the waterfall's construction, the paths at the unbuilt gym site were rebuilt from 1989 to 1993. Some of the stairs have been renovated over the years.
The plantings in Morningside Park were designed at several stages of the park's development. Accounts vary on whether plantings were present before the park was built; in 1871, park engineer Montgomery A. Kellogg called the area a "barren piece of ground", Samuel Parsons described the site as having "a considerable amount of native growth", albeit limited mainly to vines, herbs, and shrubs. Parsons also stated that because of the poor soil in the original plan of the park, "fine trees" could not grow there. By the 1910s, vandalism, erosion, and crowds had caused damage to many of the plantings. Major landscaping projects took place in 1929, 1941, 1962, and 2006.
Art
There are three sculptures in Morningside Park. The first is the ''Lafayette and Washington'' statue (1900) by
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi ( , ; 2 August 1834 – 4 October 1904) was a French sculptor and painter. He is best known for designing ''Liberty Enlightening the World'', commonly known as the Statue of Liberty.
Early life and education
Barthold ...
, at the triangle between Manhattan Avenue, Morningside Avenue and 114th Street. Though dedicated in 1890, it was not brought to the triangle until 1900.
The statue commemorates the alliance between the U.S. and France during the American Revolutionary War and consists of a
bronze sculptural group depicting General
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
and the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...
, both in uniform and shaking hands. The pair is atop a white marble pedestal and contains an associated bronze plaque on a gray granite base. It is an exact replica of a statue in the
Place des États-Unis
The Place des États-Unis (; "United States Square") is a public space in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, about 500 m south of the Place de l'Étoile and the Arc de Triomphe.
It consists of a plaza, approximately long and wide, tree ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
.
The second is the ''Carl Schurz Monument'' (1913), with a statue by Karl Bitter and setting by architect Henry Bacon. It stands on a brick plaza at Morningside Drive and
West 116th Street, overlooking the park from the west, though it is officially part of the park.
The statue consists of a bronze depiction of politician
Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz (; March 2, 1829 – May 14, 1906) was a German revolutionary and an American statesman, journalist, and reformer. He immigrated to the United States after the German revolutions of 1848–1849 and became a prominent member of the new ...
, standing in the middle of an exedra (or semicircular recess) made of granite. The "arms" of the exedra contain reliefs depicting Schurz's stature as a person who fought against slavery and for better treatment of Native Americans.
Beneath the figure are carved stone reliefs flanked by bronze luminaires. The monument's side and central relief carvings, made in stone, may have been created by Bitter's associates and assistants, while the low granite relief carvings may have been made by the Piccirilli Brothers. The sculpture combines elements of the Archaic Greek and Austrian/Vienna Secession, Viennese Secessionist styles. The monument was unveiled to the city in 1913 and restored in the 1930s.
The third is the ''Seligman (Bear and Faun)'' fountain (1914) by Edgar Walter. It was dedicated in memory of Alfred L. Seligman, the National Highways Protective Association's vice president.
Plans for the fountain's dedication in Morningside Park were revealed in 1911, predating Seligman's death in a traffic accident in 1912.
The fountain contains a depiction of a grotto, above which a bear hangs. Below the grotto, a faun is depicted playing the pipes. The fountain includes a drinking fountain and a dogs' drinking basin.
It was restored in 1997.
Bordering streets
![Morningside Drive retaining wall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Morningside_Drive_retaining_wall.jpg)
Morningside Park is irregularly shaped and follows a largely north–south alignment, though the northern portion of the park curves westward. All of the sidewalks were asphalt until 1911, and , they consist of Belgian blocks and concrete and contain trees. There are at least seventeen entrances to the park.
The park's western border is formed by Morningside Drive, which is on top of a large retaining wall that drops sharply to the east. The retaining wall contains gneiss Pier (architecture), piers topped with granite, and as a parapet fence consisting of granite posts and an iron picket fence.
Originally, this section also contained bronze railings, though these were replaced in 1954.
At each of the intersections with Morningside Drive, except for those at 113th and 114th Streets, there are "overlook bays"balconies that slightly overhang the park below. The bays at 111th and 119th Street contain openings, originally used as rain shelters. All the bays are polygonal shaped, except for the one at 116th Street, which is round and contains the ''Carl Schurz Monument''. From this side, there are entrances at 112th Street (Manhattan), 112th, 113th Street (Manhattan), 113th, 114th Street (Manhattan), 114th, 116th, 118th Street (Manhattan), 118th, 120th Street (Manhattan), 120th, and 122nd Street (Manhattan), 122nd Streets, with granite and gneiss stairways leading from the bays at the 116th through 120th Street entrances. A security booth at the 116th Street entrance was installed in 2006.
The southern border of the park is formed by West 110th Street, also known as Cathedral Parkway. There is an entrance to the park from the intersection of 110th Street and Morningside Drive, within an overlook bay that contains asphalt paving; this leads to a stone stairway. Another entrance exists at the intersection with Manhattan Avenue, on the east made of Belgian blocks and hexagonal asphalt tiles.
The eastern border of the park is formed by Manhattan Avenue, between 110th and 113th Streets, and by Morningside Avenue, between 113th and 123rd Streets. It contains entrances at 112th, 113th, 114th, 116th, 120th, and 123rd Streets, as well as between 117th and 118th Streets. Along the sidewalk is a wrought-iron picket fence with stone piers, which was originally installed in 1915 and replaced in 1962. A group of seventeen London plane trees are next to the Lafayette and Washington statue.
The northern border of the park is formed by West 123rd Street. There is an entrance plaza from the northwestern corner of the park, which is paved with concrete and flanked with stone posts. Along the sidewalk is a wrought-iron picket fence with stone piers, which was originally installed in 1915 and replaced in 1962.
Management
Morningside Park is owned, operated, and managed by NYC Parks.
Friends of Morningside Park, a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to support returning the park to its original design, is the park's primary advocacy and community stewardship organization.
Since its founding, the group has rehabilitated the park through volunteer work, as well as donations for staffing and equipment.
The organization fell apart between 1996 and 1998 following the death of founder Thomas Kiel.
In 2001, around fourteen major public events were organized by volunteers in the park, including festivals, concerts, and holiday celebrations.
By 2005, Friends of Morningside Park had approximately 1,000 volunteers.
The organization receives a moderate amount of money compared to similar nonprofits that maintain New York City public parks. , it received about $50,000 a year in private donations, and the largest-ever single donation was $10,000.
The Central Park Conservancy, which maintains nearby Central Park, also provides maintenance support and staff training programs for other public parks in New York City, including Morningside Park.
In 2005, the Conservancy created the Historic Harlem Parks initiative, providing horticultural and maintenance support and mentoring in Morningside Park, St. Nicholas Park, Jackie Robinson Park, and Marcus Garvey Park.
See also
* List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan above 110th Street
* List of New York City parks
References
Notes
Citations
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External links
Friends of Morningside ParkNew York City Department of Parks and Recreation
{{Protected areas of New York City
Calvert Vaux designs
Harlem
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan
New York City scenic landmarks
Parks in Manhattan
Urban public parks