New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-18
EAST SIDE SMALL PARKS.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE UNDER THE Law
PASSED TEN YEARS AGO. "a
MULBERRY BEND PARK THE ONLY TANGIBLE
OUTCOME THUS FAR-TEN MILLIONS NIGHT
HAVE BEEN spENr-Two PARKS LAID
OUT IN THE 1ENEMENT-HoUsE
DIsTRIcT-THE MAYORS NEW


public attention In forcibe way to how much, or
rather how little, has been accomplished since,
through the influence of Mayor Hewitt. the Small
Parks law was passed by the Legislature ten years
ago That act authorized the Board OF Street
Openings to lay out small parks where they seemed
to be most needed. and provided for the expendi-
ture Of not more than 100000 year for this pur-
pose The law was not mandatory, however, and
there was not suficent interest the part OF the
public to spur the officials to action on a large
scale.
Still. three parks determined on-Mulberry
Bend Park, East River Extension Park. at Eighty
sixth-st and the river and st. Johns Park, on the
site of st. Johns Cemetery, In Hudson-st. IL Is
significant fact that OF these Mulberry Park has
been completed within a few months, that work Is
still going on In East River Extension Park, and
that ST. Johns Park Is practically wholly thing
of the future. 1t expressly provided In the
law that the yearly appropriation OF N'"o""
should not be cumulative. Up to the time wnen
Mayor Strong's administration began the sum OF
IS 10000 might have been invested In small parks
Actually an outlay Of s. $4,000 had been incurred,
and only $500 900 had been expended IN the ac
aurement Of Mulberry Bend II was found that
more than 81 10000 would be needed. ana az the
amount available in any year was limited serious
delay in procuring and constructing that park took
place
The difficulty was finally solved by the Glider
Tenement House Committee appointed In 1871
which In the following year proposed severai o.''s
Of Importance to the city. One OF them pro'i"eu
/ for the issue of additional bonds TO an amour.
sufficient to finish the three parks mentioned ana
the result Is TO be seen in the completion OF 'he
park at Mulberry Bend which is now enjoyed daily
nv thousands of people. Another good law LOT
which the Glider committee was responsive WAS
one prohibiting the erection In the city OF any
schoohouse without an open-air playground oeihs
attached to 1t.
TWO PARKS ON THE EAST SIDE.
nv another bill originating with this committee
the Board Of Street Openings was authorized 70 lay
out within three years not less than two parks III
the district east Of the Bowery and Catharihe-St
and south OF Fourth-st and the PARK Depar ''"e"'
was authorized within the same time to begin the
construction Of the parks decided on. Ihere was
further provision that In these parks muhcipa'
baths or schoohouses might be erected anu 'he
Board was empowered. II 1t saw Mt, to select ior
park block with schoolhouse in 1t. Inc cost %
the parks provided for was not to exceed >'"o'o'
This law was permissive merely, and no steps "e'e
taken at once to carry 1t into effect
In the fall of 1895 the Federation OF East oiue
Workers called on Mayor Strong ana suesesteu
the appointment Of citizens committee 10 oe
termine the best sites for the two parks proposed
on the East Side. The Mayor was pleased with
the idea and named James Is. Reynods Oh the
| University Settlement; DR.. Jane F.. ROBBINS, Oh
the College Settlement: the Rev. DR.. A C. kimber,
Of St Augustine's Chapel; Jacob A. Riis ana the
Rev John 3. Devns, pastor Of Hope chapel III
East Fourth-st Mr.. Reynolds was made char-
man of the committee, and Mr.. Devins secretary
The committee had some difficulty in agreeing on
sites but finally decided to select for one OF the
marks a plot including the worst tenement-house
block in the entire district. This was the famous
Rome Alley a rear enement-h house in Wilett-st
In this place eighty families are housed and the
dea th-rate Is forty-fve to the thousand
The park will consist OF two blocks, each 2Unfo
feet. and the boundaries Houston, Stanton,
Sheriff and Pitt sts Willett-st. runs through the
mark The committee DESTROYS Of having that
street closed, but this found to be out OF the
question on account Of the conditions on wnicn
the streets in that part Of the city were originally
secured One Of the blocks forming the park VIII
he used as a park proper; the other will be made
into a playground Wiett-st.. which separates
them Is paved with asphalt. This park will prob
ably receive the name OF Willett Park, AFTER
Thomas Wilett. who was the hrst and also the
third Mayor of the city In 1855 and 1861 The large
Sheriff-st. school fronts on the park so that the
establishment OF the park is in sense a carrying
out OF the law relating to parks and schoohouses
The Second-st public school is not more than
hundred feet distant. and the Industrial School OF
the Home for the Friendess and another public
school are within 800 900 feet Perhaps four
thousand children in these schools will be able to
| make use Of the playground
MAY BEAR Mr. GILDER's NAME
The second park decided on by this advisory
committee is irregular In outline, and will consist
OF three blocks bounded by Hester Suffolk. Jeffer-
son. Canal and Essex SITS. and East Broadway.
with Divisionst. opening through It. running east
and west and Norfolk-st running north and south.
II was desired close Norfok-st. and extend JEFF
fer.on st, as to make the park nearly square,
but. as In the case OF wiett-st.. this was found
| impossible OF the three blocks. will be used
hath vril he cd int
a playground and the third will be made into
park Fronting on this park is the Hebrew Insti-
ue and the large school, covering full block, at
East Broadway and Gouverneur-st, is only two or
three blocks away.
No name has been selected for the park but II
is probable that. in recognition Of the important
work done by Richard Watson Glider in improv-
ing the condition Of tenement-house dwellers, II
will be called Glider Park.
The work Of condemning the property needed for
these parks proceeded with Irritating slowness
until after the passage Of a bill which became
law June .. providing that the city may take
title in such cases four months after the filing OF
the oaths OF the condemnation commissioners
Under this law the city has now taken possession
and Thursday last bids were opened for the
monthly rental Of the houses until such time as
they are demolished by the Department Of Public
Works. They may be vacated at any time on one
months notice. Photographs OF all the buildings
have been taken. careful measurements made. the
rental OF every room recorded. and the commits
sioners Of appraisal thus In position TO deter
mine the value of the property with as much accu-
racy after the houses are torn down as II they
were actually before their eyes.
THE NEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
So much for what had been done prior to the
appointment OF the Advisory Committee on
Small Parks which suggested TO Mayor
Strong about the beginning Of June. This com
mittee consists OF exMayor Hewitt. chairman:
Jacob A. Ris secretary: William Rhinelander
Stewart president Of the State Board OF Charties'
James J. Higginson, ex-Judge Myer $. lsaacs Dr.
! r BRYANT the Rev John b. Devins. President
Wilson OF the Board OF Health. and President NC
MILAN OF the Park Department. . :,
The committee has already done considerable
work In the first place, sub-ccmmittee, consist