made into the Great Lawn in 1937. Despite Central Park's growing popularity, the park commissioners were loath to allow large events, especially military practices and picnics. The committee instituted a ban on military parades in the Parade Ground in 1865. In its place, Olmsted and Vaux believed that the introduction of sheep enhanced the romantic English quality of the park and to re-enforce the quiet nature of the "Greensward", 200 sheep were added in 1864. The flock of pedigree Southdown sheep were joined later by Dorset sheep. The sheep were housed in a fanciful Victorian-style sheepfold created in 1870 by Jacob Wrey Mould under the direction of Calvert Vaux. The animals also trimmed the grass and fertilized the lawn. A sheep crossing was built across the drive, and twice a day a shepherd would stop traffic as the sheep traveled between the sheepfold and meadow. The Central Park commissioners would often sell wool and once a year would also auction off some sheep. Conversion to open space In its earliest years, Sheep Meadow was also known as "the Commons" or "the Green". For the first few decades of Central Park's existence, it was forbidden to play most sports in Central Park, because Olmsted and Vaux believed that the park should be used for scenic enjoyment rather than recreation. As such, in the park's earliest years, Sheep Meadow was only available to the public during certain times such as on Saturdays, as indicated on signs posted on the meadow's perimeter. By the 1870s, the park's patronage increasingly came to include the middle and working class, and strict regulations were gradually eased, such as those against public gatherings. Though certain sports such as lacrosse, tennis, American football, and roller skating were allowed during the 1880s, the commissioners were still reluctant to repeal the "keep off the grass" rules. However, by the 1890s, the regulations against walking on the grass had also been repealed. Tennis nets were installed in Sheep Meadow in 1915 due to the large number of tennis permits distributed by the city that year. There were efforts to demolish the sheepfold as early as 1912, when it was suggested that the Lenox Library be relocated there. A subsequent proposal in 1921 called for a police garage to be built on the site. These efforts were not successful. By the 1920s, Central Park was undergoing minor renovations, and in 1928, part