This chapter recounts a defining moment in the history of Central Park, zeroing in on the fierce dispute between local activists and the influential Park Commissioner, Robert Moses, over a proposed parking lot near Tavern-on-the-Green in 1956. The story opens with a group of mothers who, after stumbling upon blueprints for the parking lot that threatened a cherished glen where their children played, sprang into action to defend the space. This glen, originally envisioned by Frederick Law Olmsted as a peaceful haven, had already suffered from Moses’ earlier changes, including the removal of sheep and the addition of roads and playgrounds. When Roselle Davis discovered the plans, she quickly enlisted other mothers, among them Augusta Newman. Newman’s husband tapped into the neighborhood’s vibrant artistic community, helping to organize a petition and reach out to city officials. Although their initial appeals were largely ignored by the bureaucracy, media attention soon thrust the issue into the public eye, compelling city leaders to address the mothers’ concerns.
What set this protest apart from earlier resistance to Moses’ projects was the makeup and determination of the opposition. In the past, Moses had managed to push through controversial changes by keeping his plans under wraps and brushing off local protests. He routinely disregarded pleas from community members, including mothers fighting to save trees in other parks, and focused on cultivating positive press rather than engaging with the public. This time, however, the protesters were affluent, well-connected, and knowledgeable about the law. The issue itself was straightforward, and Central Park’s unique place in the city’s identity made the conflict especially potent. These factors combined to create a challenge Moses couldn’t easily dismiss.
Central Park’s iconic status only heightened the drama. The media treated threats to the park as front-page news, a level of attention rarely given to similar disputes elsewhere. The mothers’ campaign, led by figures like Elinor Sanger and Augusta Newman, quickly escalated into a citywide controversy as reporters and photographers from every major outlet descended on the scene. Their coverage transformed what might have been a routine, behind-the-scenes project into a highly visible showdown, putting Moses’ tactics under a microscope and signaling a shift in his public standing.
Tensions reached a boiling point when Moses ordered the removal of trees during National Arbor Week, a move that struck many as particularly tone-deaf. The press dubbed the conflict “The Battle of Central Park,” casting the mothers as determined defenders against a powerful bureaucrat. The actual demolition took place at night, with police and park workers cordoning off the area to keep protesters at bay. Heart-wrenching images of mothers and children barred from their playground flooded newspapers and television broadcasts, sparking widespread outrage and prompting thousands of protest letters to city officials.
The backlash was immediate and intense. Even some of Moses’ longtime supporters voiced anger and disappointment at his secretive approach and apparent willingness to put commercial interests ahead of public spaces for children. The sight of mothers in tears as bulldozers destroyed the playground became a symbol of the community’s sense of loss and betrayal. The controversy also brought to light questionable financial dealings between the city and the Tavern-on-the-Green concessionaire, further damaging Moses’ reputation for honesty.
In the end, mounting legal threats, damaging revelations, and unrelenting media scrutiny forced Moses to back down. Instead of a parking lot, a new playground would be built. While this compromise allowed Moses to retain some dignity, the episode shattered his image as an untouchable public servant. Though minor in legal terms, the scandal marked a turning point, proving that Moses could be challenged and defeated, and forever changing how New Yorkers saw the man once hailed as the guardian of their parks.