Originally commissioned by the City to serve as a recreational respite for New Yorkers in the early 1800s, Union Square Park was officially deemed a public park in 1833, and redesigned in 1839 to resemble the elegant park squares in London.  A large fountain graced the center and an iron fence circled the park’s perimeter.  By the 1850s, the Union Square Park was surrounded by elegant mansions, hotels, stores, banks, theaters, music halls and became a key location for public meetings, political demonstrations, and festivities. In 1872, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux redesigned the park by removing the iron fence, planting hardwood trees, widening the sidewalks, and creating a specific area for meetings and demonstrations.   Union Square became known as a hotbed for political demonstrations and labor union activism. On September 5, 1882, the first Labor Day celebration took place in Union Square Park and a trend that would continue into the early 1900s.   Later that century, the first Earth Day festival was celebrated at Union Square Park on April 22, 1970.   In 1976, Union Square Green Market was created to provide local farmers with a means to sell fresh produce and attract businesses back to the Union Square area.