Conservatory Water Basin and Kerbs Boathouse Restoration

Conservatory Water was originally constructed in the 1860s as a reflecting pool for a glass conservatory that was never built. Almost since its initial construction, the area has been a popular model boating location. The sport gained popularity in London and Paris in the 1830s and came to New York in the mid-1800s, in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and in Central Park.

In 1916, a group of model boat enthusiasts founded the Central Park Model Yacht Club, which began organizing races that became increasingly popular throughout the 1940s. In the early 1950s, NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses established a master plan for this area of the Park, focusing on water and children’s recreation. At Conservatory Water, the plan included a new boathouse, small concession kiosk and two sculptures.

One of the donors was Jeanne Kerb who gifted the money in memory of her parents who lived along Fifth Avenue and enjoyed watching the boats on the pond from their window. The original boathouse opened in 1954, and included restrooms, concession facilities and boat storage. Programming in the building remains similar to what was established when the facility first opened.

Despite previous restoration efforts, the basin has had significant water leakage issues for several years that now need to be addressed. Additionally, after more than 50 years of continuous service without a comprehensive restoration, the boathouse and its associated terrace are in need of a complete upgrade to address condition issues, extend service life, and improve accessibility.

Scope of Work

Kerbs Boathouse:

• Complete core-and-shell restoration of the building envelope, including exterior masonry walls, roofs, windows and doors
• Improve the building interior spaces to increase restroom capacity, create more efficient concession space, and add storage space for Park operational use
• Upgrade mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
• Upgrades to accessibility and safety features
• Improvements to the terrace, including site furnishings and planting beds

Basin Reconstruction:

• Demolish and replace all remaining sections of the original concrete wall.
• Repair remaining concrete and stone masonry walls in place.
• Selectively reset and repair stone steps and replace joints.
• Reset coping in areas of wall replacement and replace coping joints.
• Remove the highly deteriorated, original concrete basin floor and replace it with a waterproof liner and a layer of bedding stone. Reconstruct paths and curbs around perimeter of basin, with regrading as needed for accessibility.