Madison Square Park (New York City)

A 6 acre (24,000 m²) public park in New York City named after James Madison, fourth president of the United States and co-author of its constitution. The park is bounded by Madison Avenue, 23rd Street, 26th Street, Fifth Avenue, and a diagonal section of Broadway. It is close to the Flatiron Building, one of the oldest of the original New York skyscrapers, as well as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower at 1 Madison Avenue (1909), once the tallest building in the world.

The square was made famous around the world by Madison Square Garden. The "garden" had nothing to do with flowers. It was a sports arena located near the square, at 26th Street and Madison Avenue, designed by the noted Beaux-Arts architect Stanford White. The square was once known as "Diana's little wooded park" in reference to the bronze statue of the Roman goddess atop the tower of White's arena. When the arena moved to a new building at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in 1925 it kept its old name. (Madison Square Garden is now located at Seventh Avenue between 31st Street and 33rd Street).

Before becoming a national, and then an international celebrity because of sporting events Madison Square was an important gathering place for New Yorkers. Madison Square first came into existence as a public space in 1686, when the governor of the Province of New York Thomas Dongan revised the city charter.

In 1794, a potter's field (a graveyard for the poor) was established. However, it was relocated only a few years later to Washington Square Park in 1797. The United States Army's arsenal called this area home by 1811, but fell out of use by 1825 when it became a home for young transients. The Arsenal was destroyed by fire in 1839.

A public park

On May 10, 1847 Madison Square Park opened to the public. Its borders consisted of Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, 23rd Street and 26th Street. In 1853, plans were made to build the Crystal Palace here, but strong public opposition and protests caused the palace to be relocated to Bryant Park.

Large celebrations have been at home in Madison Square. In 1876 a large celebration was held to celebrate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. From 1876 to 1882 the torch and the arm of the Statue of Liberty were exhibited there in an effort to raise funds for the building of the base of the statue.

1870 relandscaping

The square was relandscaped by Chief Landscape Architect Ignatz Pilat and William Grant after the 1870 development of the Department of Public Parks. The new design is what brought in the sculptures and now reside in the park. One notable sculpture is that of Secretary of State William H. Seward, who was the first New Yorker to have a monument erected in his honor. Other statues depict Roscoe Conkling, Chester Alan Arthur General Worth Admiral Farragut. The Farragut Statue was designed by Augustus Saint Gardin and the bas was designed by McKim, Meade and White. Other highlights added later are ornamental fountain added in 1867 and the "Eternal Light Flagpole" built in 1923.

Modern period

According to Nathan Silver's 1968 book Lost New York, there was a plan in the 1960s to build a parking garage underneath the park. Construction was successfully blocked by preservationists, who cited concerns of the damage that the excavation would cause to the park, particularly the roots of its many trees.

More recently, Madison Square Park underwent a complete renovation which was completed in June of 2001. To recapture the park’s magnificence, Parks asked the City Parks Foundation to organize a revitalization campaign. Funds for capital construction were provided by the city as well as several corporations that have offices in the surrounding area, such as MetLife.

Madison Square Park is now an oasis of greenery and relaxation surrounded by historical landmarks. It is also the location of Shake Shack, a popular concession stand.

Notable historical events

* America's first community Christmas tree was illuminated in Madison Square Park on December 24th, 1912.
* On November 11, 1923, Armistice Day, the Eternal Light Monument was dedicated in Madison Square Park to commemorate the return of United States Army and Navy troops from World War I. In September 2002, after a major restoration, the Eternal Light star was reinstalled thanks to the support of ConEdison, New York City Parks and Recreation, and Sentry Lighting.
* Beginning in 1876, the arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty were displayed in Madison Square Park for six years to raise funds for construction of the statue and base.
* The block to the northeast of the park (the east side of Madison Avenue between 26th and 27th streets) was home to the first (1876-1889) and second (1890-1925) Madison Square Gardens.
* Many believe that Madison Square Park is the birthplace of baseball, since Alexander Cartwright formed the first baseball club, the New York Knickerbockers, here in 1845.
* In 1873 P.T. Barnum began hosting his circus in an abandoned railroad depot on Madison Square.
* In 1889 two temporary archs were erected over Fifth Avenue and 23rd and 26th streets for the centennial celebration of George Washington's first inauguration. The original Washington Square Arch was built at the same time.
* At the time of its completion in 1909, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower was the tallest building in the world.
* In 1908 the New York Herald installed a giant searchlight among the girders of the MetLife Tower, directly across from the park, to signal election results. A northward beam signaled a majority for Republicans. A southward beam signaled a majority for Democrats. The beam went north - and Republican William Howard Taft became president.