“Finding Prospect Park” a historical discovery tour sponsored by the Victorian Society New York, will take you through the northern half of Prospect Park, Olmsted and Vaux’s masterpiece. A brief introduction to the park’s history and design will be provided, but the focus of the tour will be on discovering lost features and why their loss matters. Some of these features are gone without a trace; others remain only as archaeological remnants. Some are largely intact but have been “lost” to the public for other reasons.
We will investigate lost rustic and picturesque shelters and bridges, the marvelous “electric fountain,” the mysterious “Culvert Arch,” the Park’s “Dairy,” the “braiding of the ways,” the still present but deteriorating Litchfield Villa, the circular yacht, and other sites and features of the original park.
For those who register, a link and QR code will be available that will allow you to download a series of historic images to use on your cell phone or tablet during the tour. There will be a physical set of images that can be viewed as well.
Jeremy Woodoff, is a city planner and historic preservationist. He currently serves as President of the Board of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in New York, and is a board member of the Bowne House Historical Society, the Park Slope Civic Council, Save America’s Clocks, and the Historic Districts Council. During his 20-year career at the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, Jeremy was responsible for setting up the Commission’s review procedures for work in scenic landmarks like Prospect Park and for reviewing all work proposed for the park by the Parks Department and the Prospect Park Alliance.
Images:
A 19th-century view of the Vale of Cashmere, one of the stops.
Litchfield Villa, ca. 1857, architect Alexander Jackson Davis's Italianate-style masterpiece, now administrative offices for NYC Parks
