History Of Marcus Garvey Park

124th Street and Fifth Avenue (Map)
Madison Ave, East 120th To East 124th Sts
New York, New York
(212) 410-2818

Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940) was a black nationalist leader who strived to promote racial pride and black economic independence. He was born in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica on August 17, 1887 and emigrated to Harlem in 1916. In 1918 Garvey established the New York chapter of his Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). At the UNIA's first convention, held at Madison Square Garden in 1920, Garvey officially launched his Pan-African movement, announcing plans to build an independent nation in West Africa.

At its height, the UNIA claimed nearly 2,000,000 members and hundreds of branches worldwide. The group's efforts to promote black economic self-sufficiency included publishing the Negro World newspaper and establishing black-owned businesses such as the Negro Factories Corporation, a chain of grocery stores, a restaurant, and a fleet of three merchant ships. Garvey's business career ended when he was convicted of mail fraud in 1923, in connection with the failure of his Black Star Shipping Line. After Garvey served two years in federal prison, his sentence was commuted by President Coolidge and, in 1927, he was deported to Jamaica.

Dutch settlers referred to the park as "Slangberg," or Snake Hill, because it was home to many reptiles. During the Revolutionary War, the area was fortified by the British to command the crossing of the Harlem River. When the Common Council considered razing the hilly area in 1835 to accommodate new streets, local citizens petitioned to preserve it as a public park. Mount Morris Square opened to the public in 1840 and thus fulfilled an 1811 commission proposal to create a public plaza at a nearby site.

Although the park's natural, forested rock outcropping has been preserved, a number of architectural elements have been added over time. A Fire Watchtower, equipped with a 10,000 pound bell by Jones & Hitchcock, was designed by Julius Kroel and erected in 1855-57. The high tower allowed for the early detection of fires, an important concern at a time when most buildings in the city were made of wood. The 47-foot cast-iron tower is the only one of its kind in the United States and it was designated as a landmark in 1967. It was stabilized in 1994 under an emergency capital project.

A community center and child health station were created during the 1930s when Mount Morris Park was reconstructed. Current facilities include the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center (named in 1988), Amphitheater, and Swimming Pool, and two playgrounds designed for infants and disabled children, which were built in 1993. Mount Morris Park was renamed for Marcus Garvey in 1973 under a local law introduced by Councilmember Charles L. Taylor and signed by Mayor John V. Lindsay. Marcus Garvey Park is 20.2 acres.



Source: www.nycgovparks.org

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