Sivan Rotholz
Before Central Park
Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2, 7 (tour), 9
OFFERED IN-PERSON
In the beginning, the 843 acres we think of as Central Park was the site of a clash between Native and Dutch cultures, a tobacco farm, a secret Revolutionary War meeting place, Black village, Jewish burial ground and German bone-boiling factories. In this course we will survey that history and meet the butchers who helped build War of 1812 forts and the con men, speculators, corrupt officials, dreamers and activists who used and fought over what we now think of as New York City’s most iconic acreage. The course will end with a discussion of the people and politics behind the creation of the nation’s first major democratic space and its celebrated design.
The class will include a Sunday visit to the north end of the Park.