Community Corner
Prospect Park Arch Wins Award For $500K Restoration Project
The Endale Arch, which finished up a restoration project last year, was chosen for the Municipal Arts Society MASterworks Awards this week.
PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — A restoration project in Prospect Park that returned a historic arch to its original glory has been recognized by the Municipal Arts Society, the organization announced this week.
The Endale Arch, which was unveiled after a years-long upgrade last fall, won the "Best Restoration" title in the MASterworks Awards, which honor projects around New York City that make a contribution to the city's "built environment."
“The impeccable restoration of Endale Arch has returned this lovely portal to a condition not seen in more than 100 years," Vicki Weiner, a juror for the awards, said about the archway. "The decision to enhance the arch with new lighting provides a delightful opportunity to enjoy its splendid design details and transforms what was a foreboding passageway into an inviting and surprising interior space. This project was completed at a time when we needed our parks more than ever, and it immediately became a beloved amenity for the community.”
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The $500,000 restoration project at the arch — which was built in the 1860s as an entrance to Long Meadow from Grand Army Plaza — was led by the Prospect Park Alliance and funded by the Tiger Baron Foundation and Council Member Brand Lander.
It included years of research into the historic structure, stabilizing the stone retaining walls, replacing invasive plants with native species, improving drainage issues and restoring the interior of the arch and exterior stonework.
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In the interior and exterior restoration final phase, Barnhart Restoration and the Alliance discovered original paneling that had been covered for nearly a century when stripping back layers of paint and grit.
The project is part of a larger effort to improve the northeast corner of the park. The initiative includes restoring the Vale Woodlands, the Grand Army Plaza berms and Soldiers and Sailors Arch, the Flatbush Avenue perimeter and two new entrances along Flatbush Avenue.
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