Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/394

380 NEW YORK (CITY) the foot of Broadway, and comprises half an acre. The City Hall park, fronting on Broad- way, half a mile above the Battery, has an area of 8 J acres, of which more than 2 acres are cov- Boman Catholic Cathedral. ered by buildings. In Printing House square, E. of the park, is a statue of Franklin. The prin- cipal other parks, besides Central and Mount Morris square, are Washington square (8 acres), between W. 4th street and Waverley place and Wooster and Macdougal streets, used as the city cemetery until 1832 ; Tompkins square (10 acres), between avenue A and avenue B and 7th and 10th streets, used as a parade ground ; Union square (3 acres), between 14th and 17th streets and 4th avenue and Broadway ; Stuyvesant park (4J- acres), between 15th and 17th streets, and divided by 2d avenue into two distinct parks ; Madison square (6 acres), be- tween 23d and 26th streets and Madison and 5th avenues ; and Reservoir square (4 acres), E. of 6th avenue, between 40th and 42d streets, and separated from 5th avenue by the distrib- uting reservoir. In Union square are a statue of Lincoln and an equestrian statue of Wash- ington ; and near Madison square, at the inter- section of Broadway and 5th avenue, is a mon- ument commemorating the achievements of Gen. Worth in the Mexican war. Gramercy park (1 acre), between 20th and 21st streets and 3d and 4th avenues, is a pri- vate ground, belonging to the sur- rounding property owners. Cen- tral park, the great park of the city and one of the largest and finest in the world, was laid out in 1858. It is situated between 59th and 110th streets and 5th and 8th ave- nues, and is 2 m. long by m. wide, embracing 843 acres, to which has recently been added Manhattan square (24 acres), which joins it on the west, lying between 8th and 9th avenues and 77th and 81st streets. Between 79th and 96th streets a large portion of the park is occupied by the two Cro- ton reservoirs, the smaller one comprising 35 and the larger 107 acres. It has 18 entrances, 4 at each end and 5 on each side, and four streets (65th, 79th, 85th, and 97th) cross it, to afford opportuni- ty for traffic, passing under the park walks and drives. The origi- nal surface was exceedingly rough and unattractive, consisting chiefly of rock and marsh. Art has over- come the natural defects, and the park now, with its fine trees, its beautiful flowers and shrubbery, its walks and drives, and numer- ous other attractions, is a delight- ful resort. It contains three arti- ficial lakes, bridges, arches, and other architectural ornaments, buildings for various purposes, statuary, fountains, &c. The old arsenal, a three-story stone build- ing, near the S. E. corner of the park, contains the collections of the " American Museum of Natural History " and the meteorological observatory. In the same building and the surrounding cages is the menagerie of living animals, reptiles, and birds, presented or loaned to the city, compri- sing many rare specimens. A new building for the museum of natural history is (1875) nearly completed in Manhattan square; and another is in progress in the E. part of the park, near 82d street and 5th avenue, for the metropolitan museum of art, now in 14th street. These are to be erected by the park commis- sioners at the public cost. (See PAEK.) Mount Morris square is situated on the line of 5th avenue between 120th and 124th streets, and embraces 20 acres. In the centre rises a rocky eminence to the height of 101 ft. above the sea and 80 ft. above the surrounding plain, com- manding magnificent views. The level portion has been handsomely laid out, and walks have been made to the summit of the hill. Morn-