EasterBlack-owned or founded brands at TargetGroceryClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesBabyHomeFurnitureKitchen & DiningOutdoor Living & GardenToysElectronicsVideo GamesMovies, Music & BooksSports & OutdoorsBeautyPersonal CareHealthPetsHousehold EssentialsArts, Crafts & SewingSchool & Office SuppliesParty SuppliesLuggageGift IdeasGift CardsClearanceTarget New ArrivalsTarget Finds#TargetStyleTop DealsTarget Circle DealsWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores

Before Central Park - by Sara Cedar Miller (Hardcover)

Before Central Park - by  Sara Cedar Miller (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
$30.00 when purchased online
Target Online store #3991

About this item

Highlights

  • Winner - 2023 John Brinkerhoff Jackson Book Prize, UVA Center for Cultural Landscapes With more than eight hundred sprawling green acres in the middle of one of the world's densest cities, Central Park is an urban masterpiece.
  • About the Author: Sara Cedar Miller is the historian emerita of the Central Park Conservancy, which she first joined as a photographer in 1984.
  • 624 Pages
  • History, United States

Description



About the Book



This book is the authoritative account of the place that would become Central Park. From the first Dutch family to settle on the land through the political crusade to create America's first major urban park, Sara Cedar Miller chronicles two and a half centuries of history.



Book Synopsis



Winner - 2023 John Brinkerhoff Jackson Book Prize, UVA Center for Cultural Landscapes

With more than eight hundred sprawling green acres in the middle of one of the world's densest cities, Central Park is an urban masterpiece. Designed in the middle of the nineteenth century by the landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it is a model for city parks worldwide. But before it became Central Park, the land was the site of farms, businesses, churches, wars, and burial grounds--and home to many different kinds of New Yorkers.

This book is the authoritative account of the place that would become Central Park. From the first Dutch family to settle on the land through the political crusade to create America's first major urban park, Sara Cedar Miller chronicles two and a half centuries of history. She tells the stories of Indigenous hunters, enslaved people and enslavers, American patriots and British loyalists, the Black landowners of Seneca Village, Irish pig farmers, tavern owners, Catholic sisters, Jewish protesters, and more. Miller unveils a British fortification and camp during the Revolutionary War, a suburban retreat from the yellow fever epidemics at the turn of the nineteenth century, and the properties that a group of free Black Americans used to secure their right to vote. Tales of political chicanery, real estate speculation, cons, and scams stand alongside democratic idealism, the striving of immigrants, and powerfully human lives. Before Central Park shows how much of the history of early America is still etched upon the landscapes of Central Park today.



Review Quotes




Miller masterfully combines historical photographs, sketches, plans, designs, and contemporary images to create a rich tapestry.-- "Journal of Urban Affairs"

Before Central Park is distinctive in its combination of Miller's photography, her expert understanding of the park's geography and archeology, and her meticulous real estate history of parkland from the 17th through the 19th centuries...an invaluable resource.--Kara Murphy Schlichting "The Gotham Center for New York City History"

A stunning display of historical sleuthing. Brilliantly researched and superbly illustrated, Sara Cedar Miller's book unravels the story of the 843 acres that became Central Park. Anyone interested in New York City's past will find Before Central Park indispensable.

--Shane White, author of Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street's First Black Millionaire

Central Park is the most important and influential urban public space in the world. But what did its 843 acres look like before Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux performed their magic? Sara Cedar Miller has given us the answer and so much more. The illustrations are beautiful, the prose rolling and imaginative, the research thorough, and the result, splendiferous.

--Kenneth T. Jackson, editor in chief of The Encyclopedia of New York City

Wandering through the green heart of the city, Central Park, who hasn't wondered: What have these rocks seen? What do the trees know? Who came before? Thank goodness for the charming, curious, careful historian, Sara Cedar Miller, who labored thirty years to bring us their surprising stories. Highly recommended.--Eric W. Sanderson, author of Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City

Sara Cedar Miller sets out to tell the landscape history of Central Park that often goes untold. She expertly uses the historical record to analyze the cultural processes responsible for shaping the landscape prior to the construction of the park. In doing so, she unearths the layers of the landscape to highlight the cultural attitudes embedded in the landscape.--Phil Birge-Liberman, University of Connecticut



About the Author



Sara Cedar Miller is the historian emerita of the Central Park Conservancy, which she first joined as a photographer in 1984. Her books include Central Park: An American Masterpiece (2003), Strawberry Fields: Central Park's Memorial to John Lennon (2011), and Seeing Central Park: The Official Guide (updated and expanded edition, 2020).
Dimensions (Overall): 9.37 Inches (H) x 6.14 Inches (W) x 1.81 Inches (D)
Weight: 3.4 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 624
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: United States
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Theme: State & Local, Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
Format: Hardcover
Author: Sara Cedar Miller
Language: English
Street Date: June 28, 2022
TCIN: 84908415
UPC: 9780231181945
Item Number (DPCI): 247-33-1712
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1.81 inches length x 6.14 inches width x 9.37 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 3.4 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.

Discover more options

Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal - (Images of Rail) by  Anthony Puzzilla (Paperback)

$18.66
MSRP $24.99
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books, games & more

Farm & Folk Quilt Alchemy - by  Sara Larson Buscaglia (Hardcover)

$18.59
MSRP $29.99
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books, games & more

The Witch's Complete Guide to Crystals - by  Sara Hadley (Hardcover)

$11.01
MSRP $19.99
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books, games & more

Ten Thousand Central Parks - by  David Brown Morris (Hardcover)

$34.95
Buy 1, get 1 50% off select books, games & more

Related Categories

Get top deals, latest trends, and more.

Privacy policy

Footer

About Us

About TargetCareersNews & BlogTarget BrandsBullseye ShopSustainability & GovernancePress CenterAdvertise with UsInvestorsAffiliates & PartnersSuppliersTargetPlus

Help

Target HelpReturnsTrack OrdersRecallsContact UsFeedbackAccessibilitySecurity & FraudTeam Member Services

Stores

Find a StoreClinicPharmacyTarget OpticalMore In-Store Services

Services

Target Circle™Target Circle™ CardTarget Circle 360™Target AppRegistrySame Day DeliveryOrder PickupDrive UpFree 2-Day ShippingShipping & DeliveryMore Services
PinterestFacebookInstagramXYoutubeTiktokTermsCA Supply ChainPrivacyCA Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesInterest Based AdsHealth Privacy Policy