Curbed.Com, recently reported that one of the first visitors to Central Park was famed newspaper editor Horace Greeley, who mistakenly thought he was seeing untouched Manhattan. Park architect Calvert Vaux recalled Greeley remarking that "they have let it alone a good deal more than I thought they would."
Throughout history, many developers have had other ideas for Central Park. There have been dozens of "proposed mutilations, intrusions and perversions" (to borrow a phrase from the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society) that would have made the park unrecognizable.
Luckily for us, plans for a landing strip, modern glass structures and a raceway were vetoed. In fact, the most radical proposal of all time wasn't about building in the park at all—it was about tearing the park down and starting from scratch.
To read the article in its entirety, which includes photos and plans, please click here.