T H E CITY OF &EW Y O R K ,

DEPARTMENT O F PARKS.

REPORT FOR THE Y E A R 1902.

.
T H E PARK B O A R D :
WILLIAM R. WILLCOX, PRESIDENT,
Commissioner of Parks for the Boroughs of Manhattan and Richmond.
JOHN E. EUSTIS,
Commissioner of Parks for the Borough of The Bronx.
RICHARD YOUSG,
Commissioner of Parks for the Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens

GEORGE
S . TERRY,
Secretary.
SAMUEL
PARSONS.
Jr.. Landscape'Architect.

NE'V Y O R K :
MARTIN8 . BROWN
CO.,PRINTERS
AND STATIONER
Nos. 49 to 57 Park Place.

=903.

 The coilstructioil of this viaduct illade it necessary to
improve Riverside Park adjacent to its approaches, and new
walks, drainage and slopes \\ere coilstructed. This improvement was also completed cluriilg the year, and proper aproaches to the ecluestriail roads and I\ alk systems ill Riverside
Park have bee11 constructed, making a coiltinuous thoroughfare
froin Seventy-second street to One Huildi-etl and Twenty-ninth
street. Along Riverside drive a number of tree pits were dug,
filled with mould and elm, liildeil and other trees set out. This
work was clone pi-iilcipally along the eastern portion of the
drive and ill the plots bet\\-eel1the drive and the Property road,
from Ninety-seventh to One Huiltli-etl and Twenty-fourth
streets. These pla~ltations 1 1 be carefully inspected, and
~vhei~eveithe trees die they will be reylaced until the park is
completely planted.

This beautiful memorial to the soldiers and sailors of New
York who died in the service of their country in the late war
for the Union was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1902, with
al~propriateceremonies. The exercises iilcluded a parade by
bodies representing the Army and Navy of the United States,
the National Guard of the State of New York, the Grand
Army of the Republic and Cadet Corps. The ceremonies were
conducted by the Grand Army of the Republic, and included
addresses by the Mayor and others and the forinal turning
over of the monument to the Park Commissioner.
This moilument was erected pursuant to the provisions of
chapter 5 2 2 of the Laws of 1893, the Mayor, the Commissioner of Public Works, the President of the Board of Parks,
the Recorder, the Comptroller, together with the Chairman
of the Memorial Committee of the Grand Army of the Republic, being designated as a Board of Commissioi~ersauthorized
in its discretion to carry into effect the provisions of the act.
The law further authorized the Board of Estimate and Appor-

 THE SOLDIERS AND MEMORIAL UMENT

 

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tionineilt to provide funtls not exceeding $250,000 for the
construction of the memorial.
In the fall of 1897 the Monun~entConlmission conducted a
competition for designs for the men~orial,Fifty-ninth street
and Fifth avenue being selected as the proposed site. A
number of illodels were submitted, and that of Messrs.
C. IV. & A. A. Stoughton was finally accepted; but it was
subsecluently decided that the Plaza site was not suited, and
after several cl~angesand considerable delay, Riverside Park,
at Ninetietl~street, was determined upon and approved by the
necessary municipal authorities.
The changes of sites involved changes in the design of the
monument, the structure finally erected being totally different
in design from the model orjginally submitted by t l ~ earchitects.
A contract for the construction of t l ~ en~onumentwas let
on October 8, 1900, and the corner-stone was laid on December 14 of that year. The estimated cost of the structure and
its approaches is $275,000, the amount in excess of the
$2jo,ooo provided by chapter 5 2 2 of the Laws of 1893 being
obtained through prenliums oil bonds sold for the purpose.
The Soldiers and Sailors' Monument is a circular structure
~vit11a high hase, a colonnade of twelve Corinthian columns,
with rich entablature and cresting. The diameter at base is
40 feet, the Ileight above the platform 98 feet. The interior
forms a circular marble cl~amber16 feet in diameter and 50
feet high, with five niches around it. The door and window
filling are of bronze. The platform on which the monument
stands is about roo feet in diameter, with side steps at the
south leading to a terrace and a lower platform with pedestals,
steps and a flagstaff. On the north a long flight of steps lead
do\vn to a belvedere with seats overlooking the valley at this
point. The entire length from north to soutll is 300 feet.
The greatest width, 109 feet.
The materials employed in the memorial are pink Milford
and Leet's Island granite and East Dorset (Vermont) marble.

 The pavenlents are of English clinker brick, laid i11 patterns
with marble borders. The tvoi-k is coniplete and requires 110
further sculpture or other embellishment.
In connection with the erection of the Soldiers and Sailors'
Moiluinent it was found necessary to reconstruct the lawns
and walk system adjacent in Riverside Park. Top soil was
spread where recluired and the lawns sodded. Oxving to the
lateness of the season the walks were not asphalted, but were
treated with gravel. During 1903 they will be concreted and
an asphalt surface laid.
& l O R N I S G S I D E PARK.

Notwithstanding the popularity of Morningside Park, no
toilet facilities have ever been pro\-ided there, and the only
structure available for storing tools and implements was a
temporary ~voodenshanty, unsightly, inadequate ant1 objectionable fronl a park standpoint. During the year 1902 plans
for an appropriate building were prepared and an illustration
of the architect's design is published herewith. The architect's description of the structure states that l ~ ehas adopted
the late French Gothic style, and in designing the detail lie has
tended to throw it into the transition rather than back into the
earlier periods, believing that the style indicated would lend
itself to the rugged surroundings and be appropriate to the
architecture of the Cathedral on Morningside Heights and the
other important structures ill that vicinity.
I t is now proposed to construct only that portion of the building on the lower level which will contain comfort stations for
both sexes and provide a flight of steps in bforningsicle Park,
where one is much needed. The building will also have ample
accommodations for the storage of the tools and implements
of the Department required for Morningside Park. The
portion of the structure built on the higher level, including the
tower, is a matter for future consideration, the lower portion
of the building being in no way dependent upon it. The new
building will also provide a bandstand, ~xhichis much needed