Emerald Necklace Archives

Central Park: America’s First Great Urban Oasis and the Story Behind Its Creation

Central Park in New York City, a prominent urban park in Manhattan.

Creating Central Park On this day, the legislation that created Central Park passed. Central Park was allowed 778 acres of land and was created by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (“Vox”). The Park was inspired by England’s Birkenhead Park, which was created by Joseph Paxton. And there were many wonderful firsts that happened…

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 26, 1822 On this day, Frederick Law Olmsted, that most illustrious architect of landscapes, drew his first breath in Hartford, Connecticut. Born to a family of comfortable means, little did the world…