Ephemeral New York is another of my favorite blogs, and Central Park, a priceless legacy of the 19th century, is my favorite New York place!
Bethesda Fountain is the one tourists flock to. But just to the west is an ornate beauty dating to 1860, made with frosted glass bowl lamps, gilded black goblets, Minton tiles and topped by a golden spire.
This is Cherry Hill Fountain, in a part of the park overlooking the Lake and near the Ramble ringed by cherry trees.
It’s delicate and pretty, but it also served a purpose, providing “people on horseback or in carriages a place to rest, admire the view of the Lake,and water their animals” in the trough at the base.
Used as a parking lot for many years, it was finally restored in the 1990s. Once again, its gentle waters flow through eight ornate flowers.
It’s one of those hiding-in-plain-sight gems that most people walk right by on their way to some other park attraction.
Horses are no longer allowed to drink from…
View original post 22 more words
Hints and Echoes 
Interesting – – in the period photo which shows horses drinking from the fountain the entire ornate superstructure of lamps and ironwork is missing.
LikeLike
The photo dates from the 1870s, so I am assuming that the fountain had not yet been completed. However, I used to have a neighbor, a former Marine, whose favorite saying was “Assume makes an ass of you and me.” Therefore I am checking this out. Will let you know. Surely, that portion of the fountain could not have deteriorated so much since the Park’s opening that it needed removal for repair. We’ll see.
LikeLike