Central Park, the first public park built in America, attracts over 25 million visitors each year. Within its 843 acres, the Park contains 50 fountains, monuments and sculptures, 36 bridges and arches and more than 9,000 benches.
In 1986, the Central Park Conservancy devised an innovative way to raise the money required to maintain the benches. The program, called Adopt-A-Bench, provides donors with a small touch of immortality via engraved plaques affixed to benches.
The donor selects both the inscription and the bench on which it will be placed, and the Conservancy promises to care for the bench and surrounding plantings for the life of the Park. Most benches can be adopted for $7,500, but hand-made rustic benches in select locations can be adopted for $25,000.
To date about 2,000 benches have been adopted, and their plaques commemorate the joyous, humorous, tragic, puzzling, poignant and mundane moments that occur every day in this great park.
In Honor of Shirley Turtletaub, Who Just Loves This Park
In Loving Memory of Gregory Richards. Dec. 28, 1970 – Sept. 11, 2001
When There Is No Wind, Row. George Ames Plimpton
In Loving Memory of Nauka Kushitani (2.5.57 – 9.11.01)
In Memory of the Man Who Gave Me New York, My Prince Charming
For The Rescue Dogs Of 9/11, Loyalty And Duty Beyond Our Comprehension
“Aren’t We Lucky” – David Halberstam
In The Stars’ Soft Light We Will Say Good Night
The Central Park Conservancy Adopt-A-Bench program
Adopt-A-Bench application form (pdf)
What a delightful way to celebrate and have upkeep for the wonderful paark. As you said , so many stories. They really peek my curiosity.
LikeLike
j’aime cette idée, et j’ai ete surpris de voir la meme chose sur des chaises du Bryant Park
I like this idea, and I was surprised to see the same thing on chairs of Bryant Park
LikeLike
Ironic but i saw a similar story in nytimes just couple of months back !
LikeLike
Commemorative plates like these have always intrigued me. I’ve seen them on church pews. In the dormitories at my college, people used to put them up in the dorm rooms, commemorating previous inhabitants.
You’ve found some great bench plates. Ever thought of compiling a little book about them?
LikeLike
what a beautiful post…………2000 stories and counting, eh!!!!!!!! loved it 🙂
LikeLike
Fascinating post and photos. For something similar in the UK check out http://www.benchpoetry.blogspot.com/
LikeLike
dog…
[…]Every Seat Tells a Story « Blather From Brooklyn[…]…
LikeLike