of historic buildings from
the 19th century, a true reflection of New York’s “Gilded Age"
Named
after President James Madison (1809-1817), this park was officially designed as
a public space in 1847. At that time, the area was mostly residential, but from
1859 onwards, the area soon became the hub of New York’s “social scene” with the
opening of the nearby Fifth Avenue Hotel.
The park boasts a rather
eclectic collection of statues, including Senator Roscoe Conkling, who froze to
death during the great blizzard of 1888, the Civil War admiral David Farragut,
former President Chester A. Arthur (who succeeded the assassinated President
James A. Garfield, and thus became the first president since George Washington to
take the oath of office in NYC), and the William H. Seward monument, (former New
York Governor and Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State).
Between
1876-1882, the right arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty was displayed in the
park to raise funds for the construction of the as-yet-unrealized pedestal.
And as if that were not enough, many believe that Madison Square Park is the
birthplace of baseball since Alexander Cartwright formed what is believed to be
the first baseball club, the New York Knickerbockers, in 1845.
By the turn of
the 19th century, the shift had swung to office locations and many insurance
companies decided to settle here and have remained to this day.
The
Metropolitan Life Tower was completed in 1909. It was added to the original 1893
headquarters and its design was based on the campanile at St. Mark’s Square in
Venice. Topping out at 51 stories, it held the title of world’s tallest until
the completion of the Woolworth Building in 1913.
In a bid to regain the
title, another Metropolitan Life Building was planned. Known as the North Tower,
this massive Art Deco tower, which resembles a fortress, was originally intended
to soar to a height of 100 stories, Unfortunately, work came to a halt in 1932
when the Great Depression intervened and the building reached a height of only
29 stories before the work was halted, never to be completed. The fact that this
building has 30 elevator banks serves as a constant reminder of those grandiose
plans.
At the corner of Madison Avenue and 26th Street stands yet another
imposing structure, the New York Life Insurance Company. Built on the site of
the first two Madison Square Gardens (yes, two versions were built on this
site). New York Life is easily recognizable by its octagonal gilded spire, which
has become the very symbol of the company. Erected in 1928, this building was
designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert.
And probably the most famous
building of this grouping would undoubtedly be The Flatiron (originally The
Fuller Building), New York’s oldest skyscraper. Due to its distinctive shape, it
remains one of the most photographed buildings in New York.
Madison Square
Park is one of our customers' favorite stops on
our New York Tours.
