Manhattan's Central Park has all the features of a great public space: It's car-free, features a range of flora and fauna, and anyone can access it.
Before Central Park became the landmark it is today, a 15-acre swath of the park had an unusual purpose in the 19th century.
Dubbed Sheep Meadow, the reserve hosted around 200 pedigree Southdown sheep for 70 years. Visitors would watch the flock of sheep while they grazed. The idea was to help Sheep Meadow further the mission of Central Park, envisioned by its architects as a refuge from the stresses of urban living.
Take a look at the meadow's history below:
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In 1858, architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Manhattan's Central Park, which spans 843 acres.
Source: NYC Parks
Olmsted and Vaux originally reserved 15 acres of the park for military drills and exhibitions. They later realized that a quiet park would probably not be the best place for this.
To make way for the new public space, the city forced Irish, German, and African-American immigrants from their homes, which were bulldozed.
In 1864, the architects persuaded park commissioners to add 200 pedigree Southdown sheep there and call the area Sheep Meadow.
Source: Modern Farmer
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