Don't know if its right or not, but heres goes
Central park was more than 700 acres of land in the center of Manhattan. With rough terrain, swamps, bluffs and rocky outcroppings. The land between 59th & 106th, and 5th and 8th avenues was really not fit for private developement. It was turned into a park but not without displacing some 1600 poor residents of the land 1st. The extension of the boundaries to 110th Street in 1863 brought the park to its current 843 acres. It was made into a park in 1853, when the state legislature gave the City of NY the authority to use the power of eminent domain to acquire more than 700 acres of land in the center of Manhattan. For more info go here:
http://www.centralpark.com/pages/history.html
