John T. Brush Stairway

John T. Brush Stairway. . , Dedicated to John T. Brush (1845-1912), the long-time owner of the New York Giants baseball franchise, this steel-and-concrete stairway with 80 steps was presented to the City of New York by the New York Giants on July 9, 1913. Brush previously owned the Indianapolis Hoosiers and Cincinnati Reds baseball teams before buying the Giants in 1890, retaining ownership until his death. He was honored in 1945 by the Baseball Hall of Fame for his role in developing the modern rules that govern the World Series., Commissioned by Brush's son-in-law, Harry Hempstead, the stairway was built to provide access for the residents at the top of Coogan's Bluff, the steep rock escarpment of Highbridge Park, to the Polo Grounds, former home of the legendary team. It was left intact following the stadium's demolition in 1964 in order to provide a convenient walkway between the upper and lower tiers of Highbridge Park. Today, the stairway is the last remaining relic of the iconic stadium that housed the five New York sports teams from 1890 to 1963., In the decade prior to the stairway's reconstruction in 2013, the New York City Daily News encouraged sports teams to join the effort to restore the stairway. Reconstruction was accomplished through the generosity of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer along with generous donations from the New York Football Giants, New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Major League Baseball.