Community Gardens 

Children take a break from their work at De Witt Clinton Farm Garden to pose for a photo, circa 1902.

Source: 1902 Parks Department Annual Report. Although the era of social reform in the early 20th century was still driven by government and charitable organizations, in many ways Farm Gardens were early manifestations of a community gardening aesthetic. The first farm gardens in New York City appeared in 1902 in De Witt Clinton Park, shepherded by a "Mrs. Henry G. Parsons," who despite the seeming formality was in fact a groundbreaking female who went on to become one of the first senior-level park administrators.