Throwback Thursday this week takes a deep dive into the history of Bowling Green’s name. While we’ve mentioned Bowling Green Park in New York City a few times over the years, we’ve also played around with the lawn bowling games the city’s founding fathers, the Moore brothers, were known to have played at their home near modern day Downtown.
But this reporter went to New York City in person to get a better look at the original Bowling Green Park herself. This charming little patch of grass, passive seating area and fountain, are but a stone’s throw from the New York Stock Exchange and Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington bid farewell to the Continental Army.
Bowling Green Park is the oldest park in all of New York City. According to the NYC Parks Department, they say this spot was hallowed ground where the Lenape tribe held Native American council meetings. Important tribe matters were often settled here on this sliver of land. Just like Peter Minuit, the Governor of New Amsterdam who settled this area, was noted for conducting the major purchase of buying all of modern Manhattan from the Lenape tribe for the equivalent of just over $1,000 modern day dollars in 1626.
The Dutch colonists used the space for meetings, parades, and cattle markets. It marked the beginning of Heere Staat, or High St., also known as modern day Broadway. Then in 1686, the site became public property when the city put all “vacant, waste, and unappropriated lands” under public domain.
Travelers will notice a plaque on the fence of Bowling Green Park, showing that the park was officially leased in 1733 as a true “bowling green” for a single peppercorn per year. A peppercorn is basically…
