Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Bethesda Terrace

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Central Park, New York

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Mid-Park at 72nd Street, Central Park
New York, September 2007

“Bethesda Terrace is considered the heart of Central Park. In their original plan, Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux envisioned a sweeping Promenade (the Mall) that led to a grand terrace overlooking the Lake. The magnificent carvings represent the four seasons and, on the side facing the Mall, the times of day. Today, Central Park Conservancy employs a sculptor to care for the sandstone carvings and sculpture and a zone gardener and their crew to take care of the landscapes. In the summer, aquatic plantings such as water lilies and lotus are placed in the fountain, reviving a 19th century tradition.” (Bethesda Terrace, Central Park Conservancy)