Prospect Park

Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead worked together to establish Propsect Park. Vaux and Olmstead were introduced by Downing, when they all worked together to plan Central Park. Olmstead was a leading post civil war landscape architect, as well as a columnist for the New Yorker, helping him earn the position as Superintendent of Central Park. The area where Prospect park is located was the site of the first major battle of the revolutionary war. The Park's Drive was fortified by Washington during battle in 1776. The historical significance of the location relates the park to the great homes of the Hudson Valley because many are located near the sites of battles during the Revolutionary War as well. The desire to place a park in Brooklyn was not only for aesthetic and recreational purposes, but also to lure wealthy residents to the town. Like the many houses in the Hudson River Valley, it was a place to escape from the everyday chaos of city living. Olmstead believed that this was a necessity for everyone not just the wealthy. He believed that this park would provide escape for those who could not afford a second house. The construction of the park took place from July 1, 1865 until 1873. The initial plan included lengthy meadows, carriage drives with scenic outlook points, rich forests with various trees, rustic shelters, bridges, arches, a Concert Grove House and Pavilion for music, and a dairy with milking cows. One major section of the park, Long Meadow, was conceived as a space that felt more natural and less constructed area. However, to accomplish this, many trees were removed and transplanted, woods were thinned, dirt was moved, and a peat bog was filled in. This type of construction to establish a relaxed, stress free environment is similar to the gardens of the great houses that Downing designed. Overall a calm atmosphere was created through the strategic placement of trees and hills, like the gardens that Downing planned.