Central Park, Ladies' Pavilion, Central Park, West side of Lake, New York, New York County, NY

Significance: The Ladies Pavilion reflects the philosophies of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the original planners of Central Park. Olmsted and Vaux wanted to create a setting which harmonized nature and urban life. As a result, they believed all forms should spring from natural prototypes. J. Wrey Mould, Calvert Vaux's chief draftsman after 1859, designed the Ladies Pavilion with these ideas in mind: Mould's design uses plant forms as its inspiration. The structure also is significant as an example of then-new cast iron technology, which allowed the creation of such fluid shapes for the first time. Several of the bridges in Central Park and at least one other structure, the Music Pavilion, were made using cast iron. Built in 1871, the pavilion was restored in 1971.
Survey number: HAER NY-197
Building/structure dates: 1871 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000538