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First farm gardens in New York City appeared in 1902 in De Witt Clinton Park
Parsons commandeered 3/4 of an acre of De Witt Clinton Park for 360 plots that functioned as miniature gardens. [DeWitt Clinton Park] [glass negative]: children’s garden plots, looking toward the east side of the park.
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Parsons opened the first farm garden on the west side of Manhattan, near tenements that dominated the neighborhood at the time – 360 plots.
Excerpt from:
New York City Parks
Farm Gardens
Although the era of social reform in the early 20th century was still driven by government and charitable organizations, in many ways Farm Gardens were early manifestations of a community gardening aesthetic. The first farm gardens in New York City appeared in 1902 in De Witt Clinton Park, shepherded by a “Mrs. Henry G. Parsons,” who despite the seeming formality was in fact a groundbreaking female who went on to become one of the first senior–level park administrators.
Frances (Fannie) Griscom Parsons (1850–1923) was born in New York City to a reform–minded family; her father John Hoskins Griscom was first tenement house reformer in the city and her grandfather John Griscom established the first city high school and first institution for juvenile delinquents. Fannie Parsons also served on her local school board from 1902–06—again, perhaps one of the first women to do so.
Parsons (no relation with landscape architect and Parks Commissioner Samuel Parsons), who had seven children of her own, educated her children in the techniques of cultivating vegetables and believed that it should be part of the education of all children. But while the Parsons family was fortunate to be able to escape to the country each summer to teach the children these skills, Mrs. Parsons recognized that not all families had this luxury. Thus, she decided to bring the idea to the city and opened the first farm garden on the west side of Manhattan, near tenements that dominated the neighborhood at the time. Personally overseeing the project for many years, Parsons commandeered 3/4 of an acre of De Witt Clinton Park for 360 plots that functioned as miniature gardens.
Read the complete article here.
Source: http://www.cityfarmer.info/2015/02/14/first-farm-gardens-in-new-york-city-appeared-in-1902-in-de-witt-clinton-park/
