Morningside Park in Harlem is a 30-acre park rich in community
history and architectural design. From the vantage point of this
cache you can see the cathedral spire of the Cathedral Church of
St. John the Divine and a short walk away view the excavated crater
that was transformed into an ornamental pond and waterfall. It was
the intervention of Columbia University students in the late
‘60’s reacting to the sound of dynamite blasting the
schist to make way for a new gymnasium that saved this part of the
park. Initially, some students laid their bodies in front of
bulldozers to stop the destruction of the park. As news spread in
the neighborhood, they were joined by citizens of Harlem protesting
the construction and eventually halting all activity.
Morningside Park takes its name from the eastern
side—where the sun rises in the morning—of the rugged
cliff of Manhattan schist which separates Morningside Heights on
the west from the Harlem Plain to the east. It is located on 30
acres between West 110th & West 123rd Streets and Manhattan
Avenue & Morningside Drive and was granted park status in 1870
on recommendation of Andrew Haswell Green, Commissioner and
Comptroller of Central Park. The park was designed by landscape
architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (co-designers of
Central and Prospect Parks) in 1873. Architect Jacob Wrey Mould was
hired to rework Olmsted and Vaux’s plans in 1880. He designed
the promenade and buttressed masonry wall that encloses the park
along Morningside Drive. The 30 foot-wide walkway was constructed
as a series of esplanades, linked by steps, with semi-octagonal
bays providing visitors with places to rest and to enjoy the
view.
The park’s design continued to evolve in the 20th century.
Monuments installed in and around the park included Lafayette and
Washington (1900) by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the Carl Schurz
Memorial (1913) by Karl Bitter and Henry Bacon, and the Seligman
(Bear and Faun) Fountain (1914) by Edgar Walter. Between the 1930s
and the 1950s playgrounds, basketball courts, and softball diamonds
were constructed in the east and south parts of Morningside
Park.
In 1968 student and community protests halted construction of a
large gymnasium in the park intended for the use of Columbia
University and the public. The excavated foundation crater was
converted into an ornamental pond and waterfall in 1989-90 as part
of a $5 million capital reconstruction of the park from 110th to
114th Streets. The project also included installing new play
equipment, creating a picnic area, planting new trees, and
rebuilding the ball fields. On July 15, 2008, the NYC Landmark
Preservation Commission recognized Morningside Park as an official
scenic landmark in New York City. (Source: NYC Dept. of Parks and
Recreation)
Take this opportunity to explore the park and enjoy what it has
to offer.
Cache is a waterproof match container and please remember to
bring a pen/pencil.
