In 1857, the city commissioners solicited designs for the park from any and all alike, and selected the Greensward Plan submitted by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux.  This lithograph by John Bachmann is a rendition of it.

Bachmann was a Swiss artist who specialized in the “bird’s eye view” of famous locales all over the world.  He did several of New York, including the one you find at bottom, looking north from the tip of Manhattan Island.

In this lithograph of the park, you’ll recognize many of the landmarks: the rectangular, tree-lined Mall in the center with the Bethesda Fountain at its end; the reservoir in the North; the Pond in the South; the transverses running across the park; the Arsenal along 5th Avenue; and many others.

One notable difference on this map is the existence of the rectangular Yorkville reservoir on the site of what is now the Great Lawn.  It was built as part of the original Croton Aqueduct system in the 1840′s and served as a holding reservoir until 1890.  In the 1930′s, it was taken down and converted into the Great Lawn.  Thank God.  Think of all those great concerts that would have otherwise taken place under water.

Experience all the hidden history in our Central Park tour.  We offer a unique NY tour experience, told with audio narration, hundreds of pictures, video clips, gps-enabled map, trivia quizzes, local recommendations, and much more.  Walk New York with Racontrs and take a walk through history.