Cherry Hill Fountain: C72
[Unveiled 1860]
Designer: Jacob Wrey Mould
1825-1886 • England
Located just west of
Bethesda Fountain enclosed in a circular plaza atop
Cherry Hill, Central Park, resides the Cherry Hill Fountain.
This ornamental structure, originally designed as a watering trough for horses during the 19th century provided people on horseback or in carriages a place to rest, admire the view of the
Lake and water their animals. The water gently sprays out of eight little gold flowers into a circle of gilded black goblet shaped bowls. As the water overflows, it spills onto a granite dome before gently dripping into the sculpted bluestone basin inset with Minton tiles. Crowning this 14-foot high tower are eight frosted round glass lamps and a golden spire. All this for a horse, you may ask. Not exactly. Times have changed and now even the horses are not allowed to drink from what was at one time their very own fountain. Sadly, for 16 years water did not flow from this fountain. In 1998, the Central Park Conservancy along with a gift from Elizabeth and Clement Moore, restored the operation of this magical fountain.