New York's Father is Murdered! The Life and Death of Andrew Haswell Green

by Michael J. Rubbinaccio

On a cold November afternoon in 1903, Andrew Haswell Green lay bleeding on the concrete, a victim of an assassin s bullet, thus ending a career and life dedicated to service to the City of New York. Without his tireless management, skill in navigating municipal and state politics, and undaunted spirit of a do-gooder, New York City would certainly not have Central Park, The New York Public Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, New York City Hall...the list goes on and on. Often called the Father of Greater New York, Green was until his dying day a relentless advocate for the common good. He earned this title for being the proponent for consolidation of the five boroughs to make Greater New York City in 1898. Green was always striving to make New York City a magnificent city, not only for the current generation, but for generations to come. We are familiar with his work, but not his name. We recognize immediately the buildings and landmarks he created or helped create, but we do not know his face. Always the driving force in the background and always focused on the outcomes rather than the means or his own ego, Green served the citizens of New York City for over sixty years from his arrival in the 1840s until his death in 1903. This book examines Green s life and involvement with many of today s historic buildings, parks and attractions so that the reader may full appreciate them and how they came to be, and how New York City became the city it is today.

285 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2013

Reviews

[Jane Lantz]

I would have given this a much higher rating had this book not be in such dire need of an editor. First the city of Worcester is misspelled almost as often as it is correctly spelled. There are countless times where after reading a paragraph, two or three paragraphs later there is a partial or complete contradiction to was was stated above! Having lived in both NYC and Worcester I found the material absolutely riveting and enjoyable. A good editor would have earned this book 4 or 5 stars.

[Will]

Not enough about the consolidation

[Shannon]

Pretty neat to know where Green Hill Park in Worcester originated and the influence it had on Central Park etc.....