Transcript Prospect Park Virtual Field Trip and Guide

Prospect Park Virtual
Field Trip and Guide
By Joshua Blum
Geology 613: EARTH SCIENCES IN THE NYC URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Prospect Park
Stops A - E
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
F)
G)
H)
I)
J)
K)
Meeting Point – The Brooklyn Library
Endale Arch
Long Meadow
Vale of Cashmere
Nellie’s Lawn
Trail to Rick Arch Bridge
Rock Arch Bridge
Audubon Boat House
Nether Mead
Lookout Hill
Prospect Park Lake
Virtual Field Guide Information
This document is meant to serve as a geological history of Prospect Park, and
how the natural landscape was modified to create the park. Whenever
appropriate, slides will also include fun facts about the area as well as natural
history about its development and/or reconstruction.
You have the option to skip over sites you have no interest of seeing by using the
Prospect Park map. All sites visited have been linked and can be seen
individually if desired.
All pictures unless otherwise noted were taken by Joshua Blum, the author, on
May 17th, 2008.
A
B
C
A) Meeting Point
The Brooklyn Library
Address: Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 230-2100
Brief History: Grand Army Plaza and it’s
arch were built in 1889 and dedicated
in 1892. Prospect Park’s land was set
aside in 1860 but plans stalled at the outset
of the Civil War. After the Civil War, Grand
Army Plaza began to be known to honor to
the Union Army and the Union’s Civil War
navy. Vaux and Olmstead the designers of
Central Park in Manhattan were also
charged with the designing of Prospect
Park. The Grand Army Plaza was also a
mark for the world’s first parkway, Eastern
Parkway.
Fun Facts: The second largest Green
Market can be found at Grand Army Plaza.
For more information and schedules please see
http://www.prospectpark.org/visit/places/greenmarket
B) Endale Arch
History: Endale Arch or Enterdale Arch is
the the first arch you enter through coming
in from the northwest entrance. As you
walk into the park from Grand Army Plaza
(GAP) you walk downhill. This is not the
natural landscape of the park. Most paths
in Prospect Park were designed to dip into
the park to allow for berms to be created
along the rim thus deflecting all
commercial and city sounds up and over
the park. Vaux and Olmstead’s goal was to
create a rural setting within a cosmopolitan
city free from all city noise. As you enter
through most entrances of the park, you
will notice this decrease in elevation which
goes hand-in-hand with a dramatic
reduction of noise.
Geological Information: Build by Sandstone
physical weathering is evident by chips
taken off the corners. It is tough to see
through the soot and other debris caked
onto the façade of the arch.
Taken from www.forgotten-ny.com
C) Long Meadow
Walking through Endale Arch you come upon a
huge expanse of grass called Long Meadow. Long
Meadow extends completely across the north side of
Prospect Park, offering ball fields, BBQ areas,
public bathrooms and much more. Long Meadow
originally had to be cleared of all trees when
construction was started. It was given a hummocky
look throughout.
Work Cited
• GRAND ARMY PLAZA, 11.04 acres, Retrieved on June 1, 2008, from
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs.
• Merguerian, Charles. (2004). Geology of Central Park – From rocks to
ice. Retrieved May 17, 2008, from http://www.dukelabs.com.