[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] FROM 1842 TO 1900 619 her in that respect, and many other small eities almost equaling her. The movement for locating new parks on the north side of the Harlem was started by some public spirited citizens of that sec-tion, and on the 19th of April, 1883, the legislature passed an act authorizing the appointment of commissioners to select park lands. The commissioners appointed were Luther R. Marsh, Louis Fitz-gerald, Waldo Ilutchins, 0. L. Tiffany, George W. McLean, Thomas J. Crombie, and William W. Niles. As the outcome of their labors, three great and three small parks were laid out, as follows: Pelham Bay Park, 1,750 acres; Van Cortlandt Park, 1,131.35 acres; Bronx Park, 661.60 acres; Crotona Park, 141.65 acres; Claremont Park, 38.05 acres; Saint Mary's Park, 28.70 acres— total, 3,757.35 acres. Van Cortlandt Park was constructed mainly out of the ancient Van Cort-landt estate of the Lower Yonkers. The city's purchase included the historic mansion (erected by Frederick Van Cortlandt in 1748), which was placed in the custody of the Colonial Dames of the State of New York, and by them converted into a historical museum. Van Cortlandt Park is now utilized for military reviews. Bronx Park and Pelham Bay Park are noted for their diversified natural scenery, and whatever improvements may be made in their grounds in the course of time, they will doubtless always retain this distinctive characteristic.