Misplaced Pages

#260739

38-473: Bronx Park is at the center of the system, and is now occupied by the New York Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo . It was connected to Van Cortlandt Park in the northwest via Mosholu Parkway ; to Pelham Bay Park in the east via Pelham Parkway ; and to Crotona Park in the south via Crotona Parkway. There were no direct connections to Claremont Park and St. Mary's Park , the other two parks in

76-654: A National Register of Historic Places listing. The eastern section of Bronx Park contains several recreational facilities that mainly serve the neighborhoods to its east. These include areas for baseball , basketball , bocce , football , handball , soccer , and tennis . There are also hiking trails, kayaking sites, playgrounds, a skate park, and spray showers. Of the seven playgrounds in Bronx Park, four are located on Bronx Park East or Bronx River Parkway: Ben Abrams Playground, Brady Playground, Waring Playground, and Rosewood Playground. The park also has three bicycle paths;

114-654: A grid system similar to the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 in Manhattan. That grid had given rise to Central Park , a park with mostly artificial features within the bounds of the grid. However, in 1877, the city declined to act upon his plan. Around the same time, New York Herald editor John Mullaly pushed for the creation of parks in New York City, particularly lauding the Van Cortlandt and Pell families' properties in

152-469: A new bison "prairie" in the Bronx Zoo. A larger lake, the 25-acre (10 ha) Bronx Lake, is located south of Lake Agassiz and stretches for nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) through the zoo. It was previously used for boating, and a 1912 New York Times article mentioned that over 46,000 people had used boats in the lake in 1911. The Bronx Lake used to have a boathouse north of the 182nd Street Dam, but it

190-672: A new park. However, controversies arose over the proposals for new parks in the Bronx, and so the city did not authorize a commission for the planned new parks. Since the city refused to make a park commission, the New York Park Association appealed to the New York State Legislature instead. On April 19, 1883, the state passed a law authorizing a seven-person commission headed by association member Luther Marsh, which would be responsible for scouting out sites for future parks in

228-756: A period he attended Belvedere College before again leaving school. His nephew, Cecil Grace , attempted a crossing of the English Channel in December 1910 in an airplane, flying from Dover to Calais. However, in coming back he became disoriented and over Dover flew northeast over the Goodwin Sands toward the North Sea and was lost. William and his father, James Grace, traveled to Callao, Peru , in 1851, seeking to establish an Irish agricultural community. James returned home but William remained, where he began work with

266-460: Is a public park along the Bronx River , in the Bronx , New York City. The park is bounded by Southern Boulevard to the southwest, Webster Avenue to the northwest, Gun Hill Road to the north, Bronx Park East to the east, and East 180th Street to the south. With an area of 718 acres (2.91 km ), Bronx Park is the eighth-largest park in New York City . Founded in the late 1880s, Bronx Park

304-509: Is believed to be the only woodland in New York City that has never been cleared . In addition, there is another set of ballfields called the Allerton Avenue Ballfields adjacent to the preserve. The ballfields are named after Daniel Allerton , an early Bronx settler, and consist of three baseball fields and a comfort station. The Bronx Skate Park is located nearby on Bronx Park East between Allerton Avenue and Britton Street, near

342-731: Is now the New York Botanical Garden within the northern section of Bronx Park. The snuff mill, a National Historic Landmark , still remains and is the oldest existing tobacco manufacturing building in the United States. Land was also acquired from the Lydig family, another prominent local family, who had bought it from the DeLanceys, yet another local family. The original 640 acres (2.6 km ) were acquired in 1888–1889. The northernmost 250 acres (1.0 km ) were allocated in 1891 to

380-598: Is the location of the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo , which respectively occupy much of the northern and southern portions of the park. Fordham Road runs east–west between the zoo and botanical garden, bisecting Bronx Park, while the Bronx River Parkway runs north–south near the eastern edge. The park is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . The land for Bronx Park

418-467: The East River , running for 2 miles (3.2 km) through the park. The section of river within the park is for the most part a natural watercourse. The river hosts a diverse ecosystem with a hardwood swamp and floodplain forest composed of red maple trees. A number of tributaries run into the river from both the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo. The river, once a heavily polluted waterway,

SECTION 10

#1732845653261

456-687: The Irish Famine of 1879 . In 1897, he and his brother, Michael , founded the Grace Institute for the education of women, especially immigrants. On September 11, 1859, William was married to Lillius Gilchrist (1839–1922), the daughter of George W. Gilchrist, a prominent ship builder of Thomaston, Maine , and Mary Jane (née Smalley) Gilchrest. Together, William and Lillius had eleven children, including: Grace died on March 21, 1904, at his residence, 31 East 79th Street , in New York City . His funeral

494-615: The New York Botanical Society . Another 261 acres (106 ha) were allocated in 1897 to the New York Zoological Society . An additional 66 acres (270,000 m ) were acquired in 1906, at the southeast end of the park; this area is now known as Ranaqua, where the Parks headquarters is located. Much of Bronx Park is taken up by the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden, both of which are private entities. However,

532-486: The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) still pays for some of the maintenance costs. According to NYC Parks, Bronx Park is 718 acres (2.91 km ), making it the third-largest park in the Bronx and the eighth-largest park in the city. However, another measurement in the Encyclopedia of New York City places the park as only being 662 acres (268 ha) in area. As originally stipulated in

570-483: The 1930s as part of a Works Progress Administration project. The southwest corner of Bronx Park contains River Park, a small park and playground that overlooks the Bronx River south of the zoo. The park is located just south of the 182nd Street Dam, a small cascade on the river. The park has five entrances: The main watercourse in Bronx Park is the Bronx River , which flows southward from Westchester County to

608-567: The 23rd and 24th wards of New York City (now the portion of the Bronx that is west of the Bronx River ). Mullaly was named the secretary, In June 1883, the commission visited the park site, and by January 1884, Marsh had drafted a bill to the New York State Legislature regarding a proposed park system in the Bronx, comprising six parks connected by three parkways. There were objections to the system, which would apparently be too far from Manhattan, in addition to precluding development on

646-559: The Boston Road entrance to the zoo. At this location, there is a small island that splits the waterfall into two cascades. A third waterfall is the 182nd Street Dam near River Park. It was formerly used by the DeLancey family, which operated a farm in what is now the Wild Asia section of the Bronx Zoo, but now consists of a Fordham gneiss dam with a fish ladder . As such, the 182nd Street Dam

684-612: The Bronx River Parkway. Founded by the New York Zoological Society, it first opened on November 8, 1899. The zoo covers 265 acres (107 ha), making it among the United States' largest urban zoos. The zoo contains about 4,000 animals from 600 species. The Bronx Zoo has several landmarked features, including the Rainey Memorial Gates at the Fordham Road entrance, which is a New York City designated landmark and

722-462: The New Parks Act into law, authorizing the creation of the park system. Legal disputes carried on for years, exacerbated by the fact that Marsh owned land near Van Cortlandt Park in particular. Opponents argued that building a park system would divert funds from more important infrastructure like schools and docks; that everyone in the city, instead of just the property owners near the proposed park,

760-441: The New Parks Act, Bronx Park is the center of a system of parks across the Bronx. Mosholu Parkway runs to Van Cortlandt Park in the northwest, while Pelham Parkway runs to Pelham Bay Park in the east, and Southern Boulevard/Crotona Parkway runs to Crotona Park in the south. The park is crossed by a road connecting Fordham Road to the west and Pelham Parkway to the east. Adjacent neighborhoods include Pelham Parkway to

798-615: The benefit of all the city's citizens, thus justifying the citywide park tax; that the value of properties near the parks would appreciate greatly over time; that the Commission had only chosen property that could easily be converted into a park; and that Pelham Bay Park would soon be annexed to the city. Ultimately, the parks were established despite the objections of major figures like Mayors William Russell Grace and Abram Hewitt ; Comptroller Edward V. Loew; and Assemblymen Henry Bergh and Theodore Roosevelt. Bronx Park Bronx Park

SECTION 20

#1732845653261

836-523: The east, West Farms to the south, and Belmont to the west. The New York Botanical Garden is located on the northern side of Bronx Park, west of the Bronx River Parkway. It was founded by the New York Botanical Society in 1891. The botanical garden covers 250 acres in total. Much of this is the former grounds of the Lorillard estate, although the garden also includes a parcel that

874-476: The family was away from home, and raised on Grace property at Ballylinan in Queens (now Laois) County near the town of Athy . He was a member of a prominent and well-to-do family who lived for a period at Brooklawn House on Love Lane (now Donore Avenue). In 1846, Grace sailed for New York against the wishes of his father, and worked as a printer's devil and a shoemaker's helper before returning to Ireland in 1848. For

912-422: The firm of John Bryce and Co., as a ship chandler . In 1854, the company was renamed Bryce, Grace & Company, in 1865, to Grace Brothers & Co., and then W. R. Grace and Company . Opposing the famous Tammany Hall , Grace was elected as the first Irish American Catholic mayor of New York City in 1880. He conducted a reform administration attacking police scandals, patronage and organized vice; reduced

950-484: The longest is a north–south path on Bronx River Parkway, but bikeways also run northwest along Mosholu Parkway and east along Pelham Parkway. The northern section of Bronx Park is classified by NYC Parks as a Forever Wild nature preserve . The preserve occupies 35 acres (14 ha) and is permanently closed off to development. The preserve is mainly composed of a floodplain forest with eastern hemlock and hardwoods, through which several walking trails run. The forest

988-466: The northeast corner of Bronx Park. Two playgrounds, French Charley's Playground and Frisch Field, are also adjacent to the northern section of Bronx Park. The southeast section, known as Ranaqua, is used as NYC Parks' Bronx headquarters. The name is an Algonquin ( Delaware ) word for "End Place", the original name of the peninsula that was sold in 1639 to the Bronx's namesake Jonas Bronck . The current brick buildings that comprise Ranaqua were built in

1026-619: The part of the local community. The lakes had previously been a very popular winter ice skating venue, with free access. William Russell Grace William Russell Grace (May 10, 1832 – March 21, 1904) was an American politician, the first Roman Catholic mayor of New York City , and the founder of W. R. Grace and Company . Grace was born in Ireland in Riverstown near the Cove of Cork to James Grace and Eleanor May Russell ( née Ellen) while

1064-666: The site. Prominent opponents included Mayor Franklin Edson , who believed that the system of parks was too big and expensive to acquire, and Assemblyman Theodore Roosevelt , who opposed the bill's being pushed through. However, newspapers and prominent lobbyists, who supported such a park system, were able to petition the bill into the New York State Senate , and later, the New York State Assembly (the legislature's lower house ). In June 1884, Governor Grover Cleveland signed

1102-521: The system. In 1876, Frederick Law Olmsted was hired to survey the Bronx and map out streets based on the local geography. Olmsted noted the natural beauty of the Van Cortlandt family 's estate in the northwest Bronx, comparing it to Central Park which he designed, and recommended the city purchase the property. The land was part of a proposed greenbelt across the Bronx, consisting of parks and parkways that would align more with existing geography than

1140-542: The tax rate, and broke up the Louisiana Lottery . Defeated in the following election, he was re-elected in 1884 on an Independent ticket but lost again the following time. During his second term, Grace received the Statue of Liberty as a gift from France . Grace was a renowned philanthropist and humanitarian, at one point contributing a quarter of the aid delivered to Ireland aboard the steamship Constellation during

1178-517: The western and eastern Bronx respectively. He formed the New York Park Association in November 1881. Mullaly noted that New York City had less parkland per capita than many major European cities, and that the 1853 construction of Central Park had raised property values around the park immediately after construction. His association sent out pamphlets to high-profile New Yorkers, advocating for

New Parks Act - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-579: The zoo in the 1990s. In 2009, the Center for Global Conservation opened on the lake. Another pond, Twin Lake, is located at the northern portion of Bronx Park, next to the Pfizer Lab in the New York Botanical Garden. It is popularly known as French Charley's after a restaurant located there in the 19th century. The scenic ponds were formerly a public area, but were confiscated by the botanical garden, causing an uproar on

1254-479: Was acquired with funds authorized by the 1884 New Parks Act , which was intended to preserve lands that would soon become part of New York City. Much of the land was acquired from Fordham University , which gave away the land on the condition that it be used as a zoo and botanical garden . Other sections were obtained from the family of Pierre Lorillard , who operated the Lorillard Snuff Mill in what

1292-602: Was cleaned up in the late 20th century due to an effort led by the Bronx River Alliance. The Mitsubishi Riverwalk, a free public trail along the Bronx River that opened in 2004, runs along the eastern bank of the river within the Bronx Zoo's Boston Road parking lot. There are three waterfalls in Bronx Park. The first is a cascade near the Lorillard Snuff Mill. To the south is a waterfall of pink granite, about 12 feet (3.7 m) high, located slightly upstream of

1330-465: Was demolished after the 1950s. In 1983, the JungleWorld exhibit in the Bronx Zoo was built atop the site of the boathouse. In addition, there are several ponds not connected to the river. Cope Lake, located near the Fordham Road entrance to the Bronx Zoo, is a pond that predates the zoo. In the mid-20th century it became used by pelicans . However, the pelicans were moved to an indoor exhibit inside

1368-565: Was formerly the easternmost portion of the campus of St. John's College (now Fordham University ). The Botanical Garden contains more than a million living plants on its grounds, as well as the LuEsther T. Mertz Library and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory . Since 1967, the Botanical Garden has been a National Historic Landmark. The Bronx Zoo is located on the southern side of Bronx Park, west of

1406-464: Was known as Delancey's Falls, and also as Lydig's Falls after another local family. Within Bronx Park, there are two large lakes of note along the Bronx River. South of Fordham Road, the river widens into a small lake called Lake Agassiz, which is fed by two streams within the zoo. The lake was described as being 6 acres (2.4 ha) in the early 20th century, although in 1971, 3 acres (1.2 ha) of Lake Agassiz were taken by land reclamation for

1444-464: Was required to pay taxes to pay for the parks' construction; and that since Marsh was trying to parcel off some of his land to developers, the park's size should be reduced in order to prevent him from profiting off park usage. However, most of this opposition was directed at the construction of Pelham Bay Park, which was then in Westchester outside New York City. Supporters argued that the parks were for

#260739