Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Finsbury Park's American themes
Does anyone know why there are so many American-themed things in Finsbury Park? There's an American Garden, American football. and baseball, which seems to be protected by bye-laws. Perhaps a philanthropist in the past left some sort of legacy, or is it just coincidence?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Interesting question. I can't help with an answer but will be intrigued to see any informed responses are generated.
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A quick spin round Google tells me that the American Gardens were designed by the in-house Landscape Architect of the Metropolitan Board of Works, Alexander Mackenzie.
I've looked for a clue as to any American connection he had, but can find none. Here's the best potted bio for him.
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I've also just found that Dulwich Park has an American Gardens too. So I suspect that it was fashionable at the time that the London parks were being laid out. I'm guessing that the football and baseball are just coincidental. Originally, what is now the baseball area was a cricket pitch reserved for the Islington Albion Cricket Club (which doesn't sound very American).
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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
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And there's a fair amount or American pit bull turd around too, albeit staffie cross.......
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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on
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And don't forget those damned American Crayfish!
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Permalink Reply by Konrad B on
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Hugh Hayes' book A Park for Finsbury (pub - Friends of Finsbury Park 2001 - out of print) throws a lot of light on the history of the park. The origin of the term American Garden isn't explained fully however, it seems that Alexander McKenzie "created the 'American gardens' in the tradition started by Humphrey Repton, using shrubs such as rhododendrons and azaleas in formal beds".
The book contains a fascinating picture of the park (c. 1880) looking towards the American Gardens and the green fields on the hilly land to the north.
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That photo (original held by Bruce Castle Museum) is taken facing north towards the Ladder and contains about the best (the only) image of Harringay House (but don't get excited, it's only a white blur).
It's published here on HoL, but rather smaller that the version in Hugh's book, as a result of an agreement I made with Bruce Castle.
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Permalink Reply by Martin (Woodside) on
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And after all that bowling and skating, a Big Mac and Coke over the road.
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I thought I read in the park that the logic behind those American Gardens around London was to check how the different shrubs brought from America reacted to their new home, and ensure that if something became too prolific then it could be destroyed before getting mixed up with the native plants.
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Why didn't they try that on the American Grey Squirrel before letting him and her loose?
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