The more than one hundred and fifty year old Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, New York is one of the oldest neighborhood squares on the island.  Many of the best of New York restaurants have sprung up around the park, which has for decades been the central meeting place for the residents of this borough.  Children have grown up in the park, and generations of church goers have come to the park for their religious ceremonies.  Birthdays have been celebrated and weddings have been performed.

Music lovers from around the world travel to Harlem to attend any number of the legendary annual festivals that that take place in the band shell, including the ever popular Charlie Parker Jazz Festival each August.  For the first hundred years the park was called by a different name, the Mount Morris Park.  History has led to the belief that at that time the park was named for Robert H. Morris, whose family was into the horse racing track that was located nearby at the time, and who in 1841 was also elected the mayor.

The park was conceived and designed in 1811, by the Manhattan Commissioners’ Plan, which was originally intended for a different location.  However the Mount Morris location was set on a large expanse of bedrock, and instead the location was moved to where it is currently.  The Park officially opened to the public in 1840, on December First.  Not much was done in the way of design for more than thirty years, however Ignatz A. Pilat was the Chief Landscaper for the city, and created a garden in 1867 which remained throughout the 1930′s.

Then at this point in the Park’s history, Robert Moses the Parks Commissioner further enhanced the design with architecture, sculpture and playgrounds, all of which remain a part of the landscaping to this day.  During the 1960′s the band stand was built and a public pool was installed.  A recreation room was also constructed, and during 1973, the name was changed to the Marcus Garvey Park to honor the legendary leader of the Black Nationalists.  As with so many areas, parks, buildings and structures, the park is rich with history.  This location is also filled with the love of all those who have been shaped by their years growing up and living in the borough of Harlem.