Strawberry Fields (memorial)

=== Creation ===

=== Creation ===

In April 1981, after John Lennon was murdered, a patch of land in Central Park near the Dakota was named “Strawberry Fields” in Lennon’s honor.<ref>{{cite web | title=The City; Central Park Section To Honor Lennon | website=The New York Times | date=April 17, 1981 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/17/nyregion/the-city-central-park-section-to-honor-lennon.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> That August, it was announced that Strawberry Fields would be completely renovated and landscaped, since at the time, Strawberry Fields was located in an isolated median between [[West Drive (Manhattan)|West Drive]] and two [[slip road]]s of [[72nd Street (Manhattan)|72nd Street]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Krebs | first=Albin | last2=Thomas | first2=Robert Mcg. | title=NOTES ON PEOPLE; Strawberry Fields Is in for a Restoration | website=The New York Times | date=August 22, 1981 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/nyregion/notes-on-people-strawberry-fields-is-in-for-a-restoration.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=”:0″ /> Yoko Ono requested that the rebuilt memorial be a “living memorial” rather than a statue; according to NYC Parks landscape architect Arne Abramowitz, Ono believed that “there are enough statues in Central Park”.<ref name=”:0″ />

In April 1981, after John Lennon was murdered, a patch of land in Central Park near the Dakota where Ono scattered the ashes of Lennon was named “Strawberry Fields” in Lennon’s honor.<ref>{{cite web | title=The City; Central Park Section To Honor Lennon | website=The New York Times | date=April 17, 1981 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/17/nyregion/the-city-central-park-section-to-honor-lennon.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> That August, it was announced that Strawberry Fields would be completely renovated and landscaped, since at the time, Strawberry Fields was located in an isolated median between [[West Drive (Manhattan)|West Drive]] and two [[slip road]]s of [[72nd Street (Manhattan)|72nd Street]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Krebs | first=Albin | last2=Thomas | first2=Robert Mcg. | title=NOTES ON PEOPLE; Strawberry Fields Is in for a Restoration | website=The New York Times | date=August 22, 1981 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/nyregion/notes-on-people-strawberry-fields-is-in-for-a-restoration.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=”:0″ /> Yoko Ono requested that the rebuilt memorial be a “living memorial” rather than a statue; according to NYC Parks landscape architect Arne Abramowitz, Ono believed that “there are enough statues in Central Park”.<ref name=”:0″ />

The memorial was designed by Bruce Kelly, the chief landscape architect for the [[Central Park Conservancy]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Dunlap | first=David W. | title=Bruce Kelly, 44, Architect of Strawberry Fields | website=The New York Times | date=January 23, 1993 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/23/obituaries/bruce-kelly-44-architect-of-strawberry-fields.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> Construction on the project started in April 1984.<ref>{{cite web | last=Anderson | first=Susan Heller | last2=Bird | first2=David | title=NEW YORK DAY BY DAY; Ground Is Broken For Strawberry Fields | website=The New York Times | date=March 22, 1984 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/22/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-ground-is-broken-for-strawberry-fields.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> Strawberry Fields was dedicated on what would have been Lennon’s 45th birthday, October 9, 1985, by Ono and mayor [[Ed Koch]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Dowd | first=Maureen | title=STRAWBERRY FIELDS ‘GARDEN OF PEACE’ OPENS TODAY | website=The New York Times | date=October 9, 1985 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/09/nyregion/strawberry-fields-garden-of-peace-opens-today.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref>

The memorial was designed by Bruce Kelly, the chief landscape architect for the [[Central Park Conservancy]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Dunlap | first=David W. | title=Bruce Kelly, 44, Architect of Strawberry Fields | website=The New York Times | date=January 23, 1993 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/23/obituaries/bruce-kelly-44-architect-of-strawberry-fields.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> Construction on the project started in April 1984.<ref>{{cite web | last=Anderson | first=Susan Heller | last2=Bird | first2=David | title=NEW YORK DAY BY DAY; Ground Is Broken For Strawberry Fields | website=The New York Times | date=March 22, 1984 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/22/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-ground-is-broken-for-strawberry-fields.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> Strawberry Fields was dedicated on what would have been Lennon’s 45th birthday, October 9, 1985, by Ono and mayor [[Ed Koch]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Dowd | first=Maureen | title=STRAWBERRY FIELDS ‘GARDEN OF PEACE’ OPENS TODAY | website=The New York Times | date=October 9, 1985 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/09/nyregion/strawberry-fields-garden-of-peace-opens-today.html | access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref>