Cultures of Conservation “Keyword” Panel: Digging into Central Park’s Layered Past

As New York City’s population boomed and urban expansion headed northward in the nineteenth century, the city’s landscape changed drastically. In 1853 the State Legislature set aside 750 acres (later extended) for what would become Central Park, an urban oasis and today one of the city’s most beloved attractions. The Park’s multilayered history will be examined by a panel of speakers representing the history, archaeology, urban studies, and preservation fields.

Christopher Nolan of the Central Park Conservancy will introduce the role of the Conservancy in the preservation of the park and its current projects. Richard Hunter of Hunter Research will speak about the Randel markers project. This collaborative work uncovered material evidence of the city’s overarching grid, locating markers placed by surveyor John Randel Jr. for the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811. Nan Rothschild of Columbia University will discuss Seneca Village, one of the settlements displaced by eminent domain, as part of our discussion of archaeological projects that have uncovered a lesser known layer of the park’s history. Hilary Ballon of New York University, will speak to issues involved in the preservation and interpretation of Central Park in the context of urban studies and architectural history.

RSVP is required.
To reserve your place, please visit the Bard Graduate Center website, email [email protected], or call 212.501.3019.