Bethesda Terrace New York, NY – Restoration & Preservation Bethesda Terrace (called the Water Terrace in the original Greensward plan by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux) is located in the middle of Central Park was constructed between 1859 and 1864 to the design of Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould. The underpass to the south end of the park has an unique suspended ceiling consisting of glazed encaustic tiles made by Minton. The terrace facing the lake and underpass were restored, granite stairs were reconstructed, masonry restored and missing ornaments, finials and portions of the delicate sculpture of flora and fauna that flank the stairs and that had been vandalized were re-carved and reinstalled using the original New Brunswick sandstone. Large flagpoles that were missing (gonfalons in the words of Vaux) were reconstructed in bronze and aluminum on the basis of original drawings and historic photographs.