If you’re in Lower Manhattan and head to the start of Broadway, you will find yourself at Bowling Green in New York City. While it is a small green space, it has an interesting backstory and we will be looking some Bowling Green interesting facts about this New York City park.
Bowling Green marks the start of Broadway, the road that ran all the way up from Lower Manhattan to the Bronx. The teardrop-shaped park is surrounded on two sides by Broadway, which then converges into a single road that heads up north.
Along with mature trees, the park has a fountain at its center along with benches. This makes it popular for those working near by in the Financial District to get some fresh air or eat a packed lunch. Bowling Green’s current looks owes much to renovation efforts that started in 1972 to restore its 17th century character.
Bowling Green New York City: 5 Interesting Facts
1. New York City’s Oldest Park
Most people know that the story of New York started at the tip of Manhattan island where it was originally a Dutch colony called New Amsterdam. However, even before the Dutch, tradition has it that Bowling Green was used as a site for Native American tribes to hold council meetings and it was also here that Manhattan was sold to Peter Minuit in 1626.
The Dutch kept it as an open ground and used it for parades and as a meeting place. It also served as a cattle market place from 1638 to 1647.
In 1686, it was designated as public property. Eventually in 1733, Bowling Green earned its place as New York City’s oldest park.
A historical marker was established at the park to commemorate it being the oldest park in New York City. The inscription reads,
The first public park to be established in New York, March 12, 1733.
“Resolved that the Corporation will Lease a Piece of Land lying at the lower End of Broadway fronting to the Fort to some of the inhabitants of the Said Broadway in Order to be Inclosed to make a Bowling Green there of with Walks therein, for the Beauty and Ornament of the Said Street as well as for the Recreation & Delight of the Inhabitants of This City.”
From the minutes of the Common Council.
Reconstructed 1938.
2. Why is it Called Bowling Green?
You may be wondering why the park is called Bowling Green. If you are imagining that there is some special significance behind the name, sorry to disappoint.
The name Bowling Green came about because the green space was used as a recreational space for people to play bowls.
3. A Statue of King George III Once Stood at Bowling Green
Something that you won’t see when you visit Bowling Green in New York City today is a statue of King George III. This was also erected on August 21, 1770, when the United States was a British colony.
This statue featured King George II dressed up like a Roman riding a horse. It was commissioned in 1766 and done y the London sculptor Joseph Wilton and was meant to celebrate the victory of the Seven Years war.
However, as relations with Britain deteriorated, the statue became the site for protests and it was eventually pulled down.
On July 9, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was read out in New York, the local Sons of Liberty went down to Bowling Green and toppled the statue. According to legend, the statue was chopped up and sent to a foundry in Connecticut to be made into bullets in support of the American Revolutionary War.
Pieces of the original statue survive, having been preserved by the New York Historical Society. One of these pieces can be seen int eh Museum of the City of New York.
4. The Fence is on the US National Register of Historic Places
Surrounding Bowling Green, there is a fence. This is the original 18th century fence that was erected around by the British around Bowling Green.
One thing that has changed is that there used to be symbols of the British monarchy adorning the top of the fence. This was because the fence was erected when the United States was still a British colony.
The cast iron fence was originally erected in 1773 because the statue of George III was constantly being vandalised. Its design featured finials on the top of the fence with the royal symbol of the crown.
The finials were sawn off in protest on July 9, 1776, when the Sons of Liberty pulled down the statue of George III. Look closely and you can still see the saw marks.
Today, don’t even think of vandalising the fence or any part of the property. The Bowling Green Fence and Park are now listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. It is the oldest existing fence in New York City.
5. Charging Bull
A statue that does attract a lot of people nowadays is that of the Charging Bull. This is a bronze sculpture designed by Arturo Di Modica in 1989. The Charging Bull looks as if it is ready to charge and is considered to be iconic of Wall Street. At one time, in 2017, it faced down the Fearless Girl statue, before the statue of the girl was moved to Broad Street.
The Charging Bull statue can be found at the northern tip of the park, staring down Broadway with the rest of the park behind it. It was originally illegally installed on Wall Street, confiscated by the New York Police Department and then reinstalled by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation at Bowling Green in 1989.
Other sights around Bowling Green include Battery Park or The Battery as it has been renamed. This is where you can get the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The National Museum of the American Indian is also close by.
