An earlier threat in 1890
In 1890, when the State Legislature passed a bill permitting an elevated cable railroad to slice directly through Gramercy Park along East 20th and 21st Streets, residents mobilized and persuaded Governor David B. Hill to veto the measure.
The Trustees thanked Hill formally. A decision made far from Gramercy had left the garden intact—but it would not be the last time neighbors had to defend that open ground.
A street through the square
In 1912, when the Dual System subway expansion threatened to cut a transit line through the Park to link Irving Place and Lexington Avenue, the Gramercy Park Association organized property owners and convinced the City to route the Lexington Avenue line without disturbing the Park.
The campaign also sought to protect the residential neighborhood surrounding the Park.
A neighborhood purpose
The association also helped secure the inclusion of the streets around the Park in a residential district under the City’s 1916 zoning system. It supported neighborhood organizations, including a music committee and boys’ club.
Protection did not stop at the fence. The association also sought a residential setting for the Park, and activities that would bring its neighbors together.
A tradition, with distinct organizations
The Gramercy Park Association formed in 1912 was a separate organization from the Gramercy Park Block Association, founded in 1994. The Block Association’s November 2025 letter revisited the earlier campaign through Pine’s account.
Read about the Block Association’s preservation work around the Park today.
Sources
Based on John B. Pine’s 1921 history, printed pages 17–21, with its 1912 account also shared in the Block Association’s November 20, 2025 newsletter.
- Pine, 1921 · printed pages 17–21