Bow Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 40°46′33″N 73°58′18.6″W / 40.77583°N 73.971833°W |
| Locale | The Ramble and Lake, Central Park |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Classical Greek |
| Material | Cast iron |
| Total length | 87 feet (27 m) |
| Longest span | 60 feet (18 m) |
| No. of spans | 1 |
| History | |
| Designer | Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould |
| Construction end | 1862 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | Pedestrian |
| Location | |
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| |
The Bow Bridge /ˈboʊ/ is a cast iron bridge located in Central Park, New York City, crossing over the Lake and used as a pedestrian walkway. [1]
It is decorated with an interlocking circles banister, with eight planting urns on top of decorative bas-relief panels. Intricate arabesque elements and volutes can be seen underneath the span arch. Its 87-foot-long (27 m) span is the longest of the park's bridges, though the balustrade is 142 feet (43 m) long. [2] [3] [4] While other bridges in Central Park are inconspicuous, the Bow Bridge is made to stand out from its surroundings. [5] The Bow Bridge is also the only one of Central Park's seven ornamental iron bridges that does not traverse a bridle path. [6]
The bridge was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, and completed in 1862. [3] [4] It was built by the Bronx-based iron foundry Janes, Kirtland & Co., the same company that constructed the dome of U.S. Capitol Building. [7] The bridge was restored in 1974. [3] [4] [8] The bridge was closed again in November 2023 for a two-month renovation. [9] [10]
See also
References
- ^ "Central Park Map" (PDF). centralparknyc.org. Central Park Conservancy. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ "Bow Bridge". Central Park Conservancy. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c "19. Bow Bridge". Greensward Foundation. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c Spiegler, J.C.; Gaykowski, P.M. (2006). The Bridges of Central Park. Then & Now. Arcadia. pp. 64–66. ISBN 978-0-7385-3861-7.
- ^ Reed, Henry Hope; McGee, Robert M.; Mipaas, Esther (1990). "The Bridges of Central Park". Greensward Foundation.
- ^ Heckscher, Morrison H. (2008). Creating Central Park. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-30013-669-2.
- ^ "Bow Bridge". Central Park. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
- ^ "Restored Bow Bridge Reopens to Pedestrians". The New York Times. 1974-09-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ "Popular Central Park photo spot closed for repairs: What to know". NBC New York. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Rahmanan, Anna (November 27, 2023). "The iconic Central Park Bow Bridge is officially closed for two months". Time Out New York. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
External links
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Media related to
Bow Bridge (Central Park) at Wikimedia Commons - Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. NY-195, " Central Park Bridges, Bow Bridge, Spanning Lake, Central Park, New York County, NY", 6 photos, 1 data page, 1 photo caption page
