9. One of the Oldest Structures Was Magnificently Restored
The Endale Arch was one of the first architectural features erected in the park in the 1860s. In 2020, a $500,000 five-year restoration project was completed which restored and revealed original features of Olmsted and Vaux’s design. The arch serves as an entryway to Prospect Park’s Long Meadow from Grand Army Plaza. It is meant to act as a portal, transporting visitors from the urban bustle of Brooklyn to the natural tranquility of the park.
Pieces of New Jersey brownstone and yellow Berea stone created a polychromatic masonry pattern on the arch’s exterior. Inside, the tunnel was paneled with alternating rows of white pine and black walnut wood. Benches were tucked into vaulted niches, offering parkgoers a cozy place to rest. Over the decades, interior details were painted over with green anti-graffiti paint, water damage caused much of the original wood to rot away, and the weather took its toll on the exterior. Restoration work started in 2015 to stabilize the arch, replace rotted wood was replaced, and add lighting. Now, as you walk the arch, it is how the designers intended.