Bethesda Fountain and Terrace

Known as the heart of Central Park, Bethesda Fountain and the terraces that surround it are one of the most popular attractions in New York City. Bethesda Terrace was made to overlook a boating lake near the middle of Central Park; double staircases led from the upper terrace down to the lower terrace with the fountain. With many sculptural elements in the stonework throughout the terrace and the bronze fountain at the center, this has become one of the iconic sites within the park. The fountain, called "Angel of the Waters," was the work of sculptor Emma Stebbins, and was unveiled on May 31st, 1873. Stebbins was the first woman to receive a commission for a major public work in NYC and was paid $8,000 in gold. The fountain, terrace, and tile-roofed arcade under the roadway have been a backdrop for many movie scenes.

Located at Terrace Drive and The Mall, Bethesda Terrace provides views of the woods and Central Park Lake. It was one of the first architectural structures to be built within Central Park. The construction of the terrace began in 1859, with expert stone carvers brought over from England. The final structure was finished in 1868, although the circular fountain near the lake lacked a central statue until 1873. The name "Bethesda" refers to the healing waters of Bethesda in Jerusalem mentioned in the Gospel of St. John.

Bethesda Terrace included both an upper and a lower terrace. The upper terrace was along both sides of Terrace Drive. On the north side of the roadway, two staircases led from the upper terrace down to the lower (main) terrace containing the Bethesda Fountain. A smaller staircase led pedestrians from the Mall (a long, straight pathway or narrow promenade on the south side of the roadway) down to the lower terrace. The lower terrace extended under the roadway through an arcade. The terrace was constructed from New Brunswick sandstone, Roman brick, and granite for the landings and steps. Forty-nine panels in the arcade ceiling contained almost 16,000 English-made tiles, typically used as flooring in Europe. Paintings in the arcade's walls were meant to be guides for more tilework, but the tiling was not completed.

The designers of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, both agreed that their plan would emphasize nature and not architecture, especially for the first years of construction. They stated the terrace would be known as “the heart of the park.” Olmsted and Vaux imagined the terrace to be a haven from the bustling New York City life and a place where visitors could experience all the nature around them while participating in social events. The designer of the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Jacob Wrey Mould (Vaux's assistant), added nature to the designs. Mould carved many different aspects of nature in the terrace, including the themes of night and day and the four seasons; he also included images of birds and plants that could be found near the terrace.

One of the requirements in the competition to design the park was the inclusion of a grand fountain. In 1863, sculptor Emma Stebbins was commissioned to create the fountain designed for Bethesda Terrace. Stebbins was a sister of one of the N.Y.C. Park Commissioners, Henry Stebbins, and worked in stone and bronze. The bronze sculpture, titled "Angel of the Waters," reflects the importance to the city of clean drinking water supplied by the completion of the Croton Aqueduct in 1842. The female angel was supported by a plinth decorated with four putti (little boy angels) symbolizing health, temperance, peace, and purity. The completed bronze and stone fountain was unveiled in May 1873.

In the 1950s and 1960s the terrace included a restaurant with tables in the arcade that fulfilled the wishes of the designers as a place for social events. The water in the fountain was turned off for a few years due to a water shortage but was turned on again in 1955. By the 1970’s, the terrace was in decline and used as a place for drug-trafficking, the fountain was not in use, and the site was covered in graffiti. Several groups came together in 1980 to form the Central Park Conservancy. One of their first projects was the renovation of Bethesda Terrace over a number of years until it reopened in 1987. Since then, only a few changes have been made to the Bethesda Terrace, including the addition of ornamental poles with medieval banners. Today, many people visit the Bethesda Terrace in hopes of seeing spectacular views of the park and hearing the sounds of the street musicians taking advantage of the great acoustics in the arcade.

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