Ignatz Pilat: First Gardener of Central Park

Central Park guide Ron Korcak introduces us to Ignatz Anton Pilat, selected in 1857 as the park’s first chief gardener. This was no “guy with a shovel”. Pilat came to the U.S. from the Botanical Gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. He brought with him a knowledge few in that era could have on the selection of plants and the creation of landscaped vistas. Such was his trust in Pilat that Olmsted gave him primary responsibility for the park when he was away during the Civil War. To this day, Pilat’s style can be recognized throughout Central Park. While winter swirls around us, let’s take a step back in time to the earliest days of the glorious scenic landmark that is Central Park. We’ll view the transformation of this originally barren landscape and explore its hidden mysteries through one of its most unheralded creators, the first gardener.

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