7. The Bethesda Fountain Honors NYC’s First Drinking Water Supply
Bethesda Fountain is an iconic attraction of Central Park, but few may know the story behind it. The official name of the fountain is Angel of the Waters. When Central Park was originally designed, this was the only fountain that was in the plan. The twenty-six-foot-high fountain was created by sculptor Emma Stebbins, the first woman to receive a commission for a major public work in New York City. Calvert Vaux designed the base it stands on and Jacob Wrey Mould created the ornamentation. The fountain commemorates the 1842 opening of the Corotn Aqueduct which brought fresh drinking water to the city. The angle holds a lily in one hand while blessing the waters with the other. At her feet, four cherubs represent health, purity, temperance, and peace.
