NOTICE: the cache can be retrieved from outside of the park!
The Cooper Triangle is named for the famed industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper. At the center of the park is a monument to Cooper created by sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens and architect Stanford White.
While he is a very controversial figure today because of his involvement with the creation of the NYPD, Peter Cooper is still well known for his philanthropy. He believed that education should be “as free as air and water”, and in 1859 he established a university under his name which provided free tuition up until 2014.
The Cooper Triangle was deeded to the City in 1828 for use as a public space by Charles H. Hall. Named Stuyvesant Square at the time, it was acquired by Parks in 1850 and renamed Cooper Park in 1883.
In the early 1900s, the park was redesigned, reconstructing the original walks, and enclosing the park with an iron fence that is present today. The reconstruction of the park in 1938 included destroying the underground comfort station and laying new walks.
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