Minton Tile Ceiling at Bethesda Terrace 1869
Jacob Wrey Mould, 1825-1886
Bethesda Terrace Arcade was created in the 1860s as a part of the Park's main architectural feature. A grand staircase connects the Mall to the subterranean arcade.
It was conceived to be an ornate interior that would act as a distinct counterpart to the open terrace and Lake. The highlight of the arcade is the magnificent Minton Tile ceiling designed by British-born architect and designer, Jacob Wrey Mould, who also conceived of the decorative carvings throughout the Terrace.
Installed in 1869, there are more than 15,000 colorful, patterned encaustic tiles, made by England's famed Minton Tile Company. Encaustic tiles, originally created to cover floors, are made of individual colored clays pressed and fired into the tile to form the design. Bethesda arcade is the only place in the world where these Minton tiles are used for a ceiling. The niches that flank the walls of the arcade are covered with trompe l'oeil paintings that resemble the colored stone inlay design that was never completed. Over the decades, the 50-ton ceiling deteriorated. In the 1980s, the tiles were placed in storage. Thanks to charitable donation, Central Park Conservancy was finally able to restore the ceiling and the arcade in 2000.