Concert Ground Benches Restoration

The Mall in Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a tree-lined element leading to Bethesda Terrace, with the intention to draw visitors into the heart of the park. Shortly after the Park opened, music became a regular activity along the Mall, and by 1862, an ornamental cast-iron bandstand designed by Jacob Wrey Mould was built. To accommodate the sizable crowds attending the musical performances, Vaux redesigned this area of the Mall in 1873, adding several grassed areas surrounded by continuous wooden benches with a unique floral design and gravel walkways between the rows of trees.

By the 1920s, the Naumburg Bandshell was built to provide a better venue for the Park's concerts. The benches were removed as the area was reoriented toward the Bandshell and away from the original bandstand. Concerts continued in this area for many decades, but activity slowed in the 1970s concurrent with the decline of the park.

In the 1990s, the Conservancy recreated the benches. Small repairs and maintenance have been done over the years, but it's time for a full-scale reconstruction. Bench slats are splintering or missing in some cases, and many of the cast-aluminum posts are damaged.

This project is currently in design. We recently completed presentations to the community boards adjacent to the Park and will soon submit the project to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Scope of Work

• Replace all the wooden bench slats on the seats and backs and replicate the unique floral pattern.
• Repair, refinish, and reinstall all the cast-aluminum bench posts.
• Remove and reset the asphalt hex pavers around the benches.