UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 13F

                               FORM 13F COVER PAGE

Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: March 31, 2004

Check here if amendment [ ]; Amendment Number:
This Amendment (Check only one.): [ ] is a restatement.
                                  [ ] adds new holdings entries.

Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report:

Name:     Central Securities Corporation
Address:  630 Fifth Avenue
          New York, New York 10111

13F File Number:  28-6578

The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.

Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager:

Name:    Marlene A. Krumholz
Title:   Secretary
Phone:   212-698-2020
Signature, Place, and Date of Signing:

/s/ Marlene A. Krumholz      New York, New York     May 6, 2004

Report Type (Check only one.):

[X]     13F HOLDINGS REPORT.

[ ]     13F NOTICE.

[ ]     13F COMBINATION REPORT.

List of Other Managers Reporting for this Manager:

None

I AM SIGNING THIS REPORT AS REQUIRED BY THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.




                              FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE


Report Summary:

Number of Other Included Managers:             0

Form 13F Information Table Entry Total:       41

Form 13F Information Table Value Total:  368,464

List of Other Included Managers:

None




                           FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE



                                                         VALUE    SHARES/  SH/  PUT/  INVSMT     OTHER            VOTING AUTHORITY
    NAME OF ISSUER         TITLE OF CLASS     CUSIP     (x$1000)  PRN AMT  PRN  CALL  DSCRETN   MANAGERS  SOLE    SHARED      NONE
       COLUMN 1               COLUMN 2       COLUMN 3   COLUMN 4           COLUMN 5   COLUMN 6  COLUMN 7          COLUMN 8
====================================================================================================================================
                                                                                                     
ABBOTT LABORATORIES            COMMON       002824 10 0    4110     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
ACCENTURE LTD                  COMMON       G115OG 11 1    9920     400000     SH         SOLE             400000     0         0
AFFYMETRIX, INC.               COMMON       00826T 10 8    3377     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
  GROUP, INC.                  COMMON       026874 10 7   10702     150000     SH         SOLE             150000     0         0
AMERICAN  MGMT  SYSTEMS INC.   COMMON       027352 10 3    6991     364502     SH         SOLE             364502     0         0
ANALOG DEVICES, INC.           COMMON       032654 10 5   20644     430000     SH         SOLE             430000     0         0
APPLE COMPUTER INC.            COMMON       037833 10 0    2704     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
ARCH CAPITAL GROUP LTD.        COMMON       G0450A 10 5    4210     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
ARVINMERITOR, INC.             COMMON       043353 10 1   11898     600000     SH         SOLE             600000     0         0
BANK OF NEW YORK CO., INC.     COMMON       064057 10 2   15750     500000     SH         SOLE             500000     0         0
BRADY CORPORATION              CLASS A      104674 10 6   19611     515000     SH         SOLE             515000     0         0
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP.    COMMON       14040H 10 5   27909     370000     SH         SOLE             370000     0         0
CARMAX, INC.                   COMMON       143130 10 2    2920     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
CERIDIAN CORPORATION           COMMON       156779 10 0    1971     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
CINCINNATI BELL INC.           COMMON       171871 10 6    4070    1000000     SH         SOLE            1000000     0         0
CONVERGYS CORPORATION          COMMON       212485 10 6   18544    1220000     SH         SOLE            1220000     0         0
DOVER CORPORATION              COMMON       260003 10 8    6591     170000     SH         SOLE             170000     0         0
ENCANA CORP.                   COMMON       292505 10 4    6899     160000     SH         SOLE             160000     0         0
ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY         CLASS A      29530P 10 2     483      10000     SH         SOLE              10000     0         0
FLEXTRONICS INT'L. LTD.        COMMON       Y2573F 10 2   20679    1210000     SH         SOLE            1210000     0         0
IMPATH, INC.                   COMMON       45255G 10 1    2989     490000     SH         SOLE             490000     0         0
INGRAM MICRO INC.              CLASS A      457153 10 4    3258     180000     SH         SOLE             180000     0         0
INTEL CORPORATION              COMMON       458140 10 0   26656     980000     SH         SOLE             980000     0         0
KERR-MCGEE CORPORATION         COMMON       492386 10 7   11330     220000     SH         SOLE             220000     0         0
LABORATORY CORPORATION OF
  AMERICA HOLDINGS             COMMON       50540R 40 9    4318     110000     SH         SOLE             110000     0         0
MARSH & MCLENNAN
  COMPANIES, INC.              COMMON       571748 10 2    4630     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
MERCK & CO., INC.              COMMON       589331 10 7    4419     100000     SH         SOLE             100000     0         0
MOTOROLA, INC.                 COMMON       620076 10 9    3520     200000     SH         SOLE             200000     0         0
MURPHY OIL CORPORATION         COMMON       626717 10 2   18891     300000     SH         SOLE             300000     0         0
POLYONE CORPORATION            COMMON       73179P 10 6    9126    1372400     SH         SOLE            1372400     0         0
ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY          COMMON       775371 10 7    5976     150000     SH         SOLE             150000     0         0
ROPER INDUSTRIES, INC.         COMMON       776696 10 6    6017     124700     SH         SOLE             124700     0         0
SCHERING-PLOUGH CORP.          COMMON       806605 10 1    7299     450000     SH         SOLE             450000     0         0
SOLECTRON CORPORATION          COMMON       834182 10 7    4424     800000     SH         SOLE             800000     0         0
SUNGARD DATA SYSTEMS INC.      COMMON       867363 10 3   15618     570000     SH         SOLE             570000     0         0
TRANSPORT CORP OF AMERICA      COMMON       89385P 10 2    3790     533757     SH         SOLE             533757     0         0
THE TRIZETTO GROUP, INC.       COMMON       896882 10 7    7750    1000000     SH         SOLE            1000000     0         0
UNISYS CORPORATION             COMMON       909214 10 8   16422    1150000     SH         SOLE            1150000     0         0
UNOCAL CORPORATION             COMMON       915289 10 2    5592     150000     SH         SOLE             150000     0         0
VICAL INCORPORATED             COMMON       925602 10 4     921     150000     SH         SOLE             150000     0         0
WIND RIVER SYSTEMS, INC.       COMMON       973149 10 7    5535     500000     SH         SOLE             500000     0         0