Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park records
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Abstract
The Records of the Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park contain a variety of documents concerning the formation of the League and their activities regarding the preservation of Riverside Park and Upper West Side Improvement Plan. The collection contains correspondence, pamphlets, annual reports, clipping scrapbooks, minutes, cashbooks, and photographic materials.
Historical Note
Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park was formed in May of 1916 with the objective to protect Riverside Park from proposed landscape alterations brought forth by the New York Central Railroad Company and the City of New York. Upon its establishment in 1916, an Executive Board consisting of mostly residents from the Upper West Side was established. Mrs. Charles Austin Bryan was the founding President. The five founding Vice Presidents were Mrs. James M. Stewart, Mrs. John Clapperton Kerr, Mrs. Arthur Melville Shrady, Mrs. John Caldwell Coleman, and Mrs. William R. Stewart. Members and individuals supporting the League's mission and activities primarily resided in the Upper West Side neighborhood. By 1918, the League represented over five hundred members. The first luncheon of the League was held on May 18, 1921 at the Claremont.
In 1916, the League primarily advocated for provisions to protect the park from the developments of the Port and Terminal facilities of New York City. These developments were the result of New York Central Railroad Company's West Side Improvement Plan, one of the largest projects undertaken jointly by public and private interests in Manhattan. The plan proposed developments to cover the railroad north of 72nd Street, construct an express motor highway, and create an additional 32 acres of recreational space for the public. The City of New York and the New York Central Railroad Company reached an agreement on July 2, 1929 concerning the Improvement Project. The Improvement Plan was dedicated on July 18, 1934 and completed in 1937.
The League was engaged with many matters concerning the planning and negotiations of the West Side Improvement Project, especially with matters concerning Riverside Park. Large portions of records in the collection reflect exchanges between the League and representatives of the West Side Improvement Engineering Committee. The Engineering Committee included representatives from the Board of Transportation, the Transit Commission, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, the Borough of Manhattan, the Port of New York Authority, and the New York Central Railroad Company. The League was successful in negotiations with the Park Department and New York Central Railroad Company for the construction of foundations and walls covering the tracks as far as 82nd Street, the restoration of the southerly end of Riverside Park, provisions for boating and recreational facilities along the river, the removal of shacks along the river front and coal pockets from 96th Street, and the paving of the promenade north of 96th Street.
The League was also involved in park projects that promoted civic improvement and environmental preservation. In 1926, the League dedicated the area of Riverside Park extending from 116th to 124th Streets as an area called the "Memorial Grove of States." The League planted 72 trees, a memorial tree to an unknown solider of each state in the Union, the District of Columbia, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, in addition to planting 19 trees as a memorial to special patriots. The League also had an area in the park they referred to as the Bird Sanctuary. The League recorded the variety of migratory birds in the Sanctuary during its early years.
The League was involved in a variety of projects promoting the Park's significant role in the lives of children and residents of New York City. From the early days of the League, the League had an interest in the children in public and private schools, and the care and protection of the parks. Troop 599 Boy Scouts of America patrolled the Groves daily. The school children of public schools Nos. 54 and 179 planted trees in the park. The league encouraged children to make bird houses for placement in the trees in Riverside Park. They held birdhouse and poster contests. There was an exhibition of birdhouses and posters at the American Museum of Natural History, at the Columbia Yacht Club, and the Exposition of Women's Arts.
On November 18, 1938, the final meeting of the League's Executive board was held. The League's surplus funds were given to the Audubon Society for the care of the Bird Sanctuary and to the Park Department for the care of the Memorial Graves. The content in the League's records demonstrate the following two variants of the League's name: the Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park and the Women's League for the Protection of Riverside Park.
Arrangement Note
The records primarily reflect the original filing system of the League.
The records are organized in 5 series:
Series I: Correspondence of the Executive Board, (1916-1936)
Series II: Photographs (1926-1930, undated)
Series III: Administrative Books (1916-1931)
Series IV: Maps and Blueprints (1924-1932)
Series V: Newspaper Clipping Scrapbooks (1920-1936)
Scope and Content Note
The majority of records include correspondence and related ephemera concerning the activities of the League's executive board members, primarily Mrs. Charles Austin Bryan and Mrs. Helen Culver Kerr (Mrs. John Clapperton Kerr). The bulk of the collection includes correspondence and related documents that primarily address the encroachment of the New York Central tracks on Riverside Park, and the City of New York's Board of Estimate and Apportionment involvements in plans regarding the Upper West Side Improvement. The materials also include photographs of Riverside Park, and the League's activities in the Park. The collection includes two cashbooks, one minute book, and a variety of clippings scrapbooks of the League's activities and civic interests. Oversized materials include a variety of maps and blueprints concerning Riverside Park and the West Side Improvement Plan.
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Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park Records, MS 139, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park, 1938.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processed by Kathryn Kashmiry, before 2011.
Repository
Series I: Correspondence of the Executive Board, 1916-1936, 1916-1936, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Summary:
The majority of materials in this series include reports and correspondence from private and government bodies concerning the West Side Improvement Plan and the proposed changes to Riverside Park. The materials include correspondence between Mrs. John Clapperton Kerr, and Marcus M. Marks, the President of the City of New York's Borough of Manhattan. Also included is correspondence between Mrs. John Clapperton Kerr and the City of New York's Department of Parks, Department of Docks and Ferries, State of the Senate in Albany, and the New York Central Railroad Company. Materials include general correspondence with NY organizations, lawyers, landscape architects, youth and educational organizations, and other individuals and organizations interested in the mission of the League. Among the documents is a report of the specific types of trees in the path of the proposed changes by the New York Central Railroad. There are also various documents concerning the Leagues establishment of the Park's Bird Sanctuary and Memorial Grove of States.
The records are arranged alphabetically by correspondent. The alphabetic filing system is inconsistent in its method of arrangement. In 1929, the filing system shifted to grouping files together with similar subjects instead of in an alphabetical system. Therefore, records filed between 1929 and 1936 were assigned subjects titles that reflect the nature of the records.
Correspondence A, 1916
Correspondence B, 1916
Correspondence C, 1916
Correspondence D, 1916
Correspondence E, 1916
Correspondence F, 1916
Correspondence G, 1916
Correspondence H, 1916
Correspondence I, 1916
Correspondence J, 1916
Correspondence K, 1916
Correspondence L, 1916
Correspondence M, 1916
Correspondence N, 1916
Correspondence O, 1916
Correspondence P, 1916
Correspondence Q, 1916
Correspondence R, 1916
Correspondence S, 1916
Correspondence T, 1916
Correspondence W, 1916
Correspondence A, 1917
Correspondence B, 1917
Correspondence C, 1917
Correspondence D, 1917
Correspondence E, 1917
Correspondence F, 1917
Correspondence G, 1917
Correspondence H, 1917
Correspondence I, 1917
Correspondence J, 1917
Correspondence K, 1917
Correspondence L, 1917
Correspondence M, 1917
Correspondence N, 1917
Correspondence O, 1917
Correspondence P, 1917
Correspondence Q, 1917
Correspondence R, 1917
Correspondence S, 1917
Correspondence V, 1917
Correspondence W, 1917
Correspondence C, 1918
Correspondence L, 1918
Correspondence O-P, 1918
Correspondence R, 1918
Correspondence A, 1919
Correspondence F, 1920
Correspondence G, 1920
Correspondence K, 1920
Correspondence M, 1920
Correspondence O-P, 1920
Correspondence R-T, 1920
Correspondence B, 1921
Correspondence L, 1921
Correspondence O-P, 1921
Correspondence Q, 1921
Correspondence R, 1921
Correspondence S, 1921
Correspondence A, 1922
Correspondence B, 1922
Correspondence C-E, 1922
Correspondence G, 1922
Correspondence H, 1922
Correspondence K-L, 1922
Correspondence M-N, 1922
Correspondence O-P, 1922
Correspondence R-T, 1922
Correspondence X-Z, 1922
Correspondence B-C, 1923
Correspondence D-E, 1923
Correspondence L-M, 1923
Correspondence N, 1923
Correspondence O-P, 1923
Correspondence R, 1923
Correspondence S-T, 1923
Correspondence A, 1924
Correspondence B, 1924
Correspondence C-E, 1924
Correspondence G-F, 1924
Correspondence L, 1924
Correspondence M, 1924
Correspondence N-P, 1924
Correspondence Q-R, 1924
Correspondence S-T, 1924
Correspondence U-W, 1924
Correspondence B, 1925
Correspondence C-F, 1925
Correspondence G, 1925
Correspondence H, 1925
Correspondence I-J, 1925
Correspondence K-L, 1925
Correspondence M, 1925
Correspondence N, 1925
Correspondence O-P, 1925
Correspondence Q-R, 1925
Correspondence S, 1925
Correspondence T, 1925
Correspondence U-W, 1925
Correspondence X-Z, 1925
Correspondence B, 1926
Correspondence C, 1926
Correspondence E, 1926
Correspondence H, 1926
Correspondence L, 1926
Memorial Grove Dedication, 1926
Memorial Grove, 1926
Correspondence M, 1926
Correspondence N, 1926
Correspondence O-P, 1926
Correspondence Q-R, 1926
Correspondence S-T, 1926
Correspondence U-W, 1926
Annual Report: Department of Parks (Manhattan), 1927
Correspondence A-B, 1927
Correspondence C, 1927
Correspondence D, 1927
Correspondence E, 1927
Correspondence F-G, 1927
Herrick, Walter (Commissioner of Parks), 1927
Correspondence H, 1927
Correspondence L, 1927
Memorial Grove of State Trees, 1927
Correspondence M-N, 1927
Policy: Mrs. Carr V. Vann Anda, 1927
Correspondence O-P, 1927
Correspondence Q-R, 1927
Correspondence S-T, 1927
Correspondence U-W, 1927
Correspondence X-Z, 1927
Correspondence A-C, 1928
Endorsements, 1928
Correspondence D-E, 1928
Correspondence F, 1928
Correspondence G, 1928
Correspondence H, 1928
Correspondence L, 1928
Correspondence M-N, 1928
Correspondence O-P, 1928
Correspondence Q-R, 1928
Correspondence S, 1928
Correspondence T, 1928
West Side Plans, 1928
Correspondence U-Z, 1928
Correspondence A, 1929
Correspondence B, 1929
Correspondence C, 1929
Correspondence D-E, 1929
Correspondence F-H, 1929
Correspondence I-L, 1929
Correspondence M, 1929
Correspondence N, 1929
Correspondence O-P, 1929
Correspondence Q-R, 1929
Correspondence S-T, 1929
Correspondence U-W, 1929
Correspondence X-Z, 1929
Annual Luncheon, April 1931
Bird Sanctuary, 1927-1931
City of New York and New York Central Railroad Co. Agreement, July 2, 1929
Encroachments and Legislation, 1929-1931
Flag, 1930
General Correspondence, 1929-1931
Metropolitan Conference on Parks, 1930
Printing, 1929-1930; Undated
Riverside Park, 1930
School Children and Parks, 1929-1931
Walter Herrick (Commissioner of Parks), 1929
Walter Herrick (Commissioner of Parks), 1930-1931
West Side Development, 1929-1931
Correspondence from Mary Adam Luce, 1931-1932; Undated
Letters and Reports, 1931-1936
President's Message, Undated
"Riverside Drive" Essays by Children, May 1934
Riverside Lecture, Undated
School Plays, 1934-1935
Spring Luncheon, 1933
Series II: Photographs, 1926-1930, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Summary:
Materials in this series include photographs of Riverside Park, and the League's activities in the Park. Many photographs document children in the park and the dedication of trees in the park to the city. Many of the photographs are undated.
Children in the Park; Children with Birdhouses, Undated
Dedicating Trees in the Park, 1927; Undated
Riverside Park, 1926; 1928; Undated
Miscellaneous, 1930; Undated
Oversized Photographs, Undated
Series III: Administrative Books, 1916-1931, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Summary:
The materials in this series include small books documenting the constitution and by-laws of the Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park. Most books were printed annually, or bi-annually. Books titled "Yearbook" contain information concerning the League's officers, active members, and the League's constitution and annual reports. Also included is a typed draft of the League's first constitution dated 1916.
The series also includes three administrative ledgers of the Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park. One cash book dates from October of 1927 to October of 1933. The second cashbook dates from October of 1933 to 1938. Each cashbook identifies the Treasurer as Harriet W. Holly. The third ledger is a minute book dating 1927 to 1938.
Constitution, By Laws, and Yearbooks, 1916-1931, inclusive
Series IV: Maps and Blueprints, 1924-1932, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Summary:
The majority of materials include architectural maps of Riverside Park and the Upper West Side. Also included are blueprints of the proposed developments of Riverside Park. The materials include a bound book of engineering plans for the removal of New York Central Railroad Company's tracks from the streets along the Hudson River waterfront and for related public improvements dated May 13, 1927.
Maps and Blueprints, 1924-1932, inclusive
Series V: Newspaper Clipping Scrapbooks, 1920-1936, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
Summary:
Materials include two scrapbooks of newspaper and magazine clippings dating from 1920 to 1936. The clippings were collected by the Woman's League for the Protection of Riverside Park. The content of the clippings concern the League's activities, Riverside Park, New York City Parks, New York City Ports, Riverside Drive, and the Upper West Side Improvement Plan.