Nethermead Arch in Prospect Park, ca. 1890.

The Nethermead Arch, also known as Three Arch Bridge, is located at the exact center of Prospect Park. Conceived by park architect Calvert Vaux and completed by 1871, it was designed to give way to five different circulation routes, making it distinct from every other bridge and underpass in the park. It is also the only bridge in Prospect Park that covers a park path, bridle path, and waterway. The name Nethermead Arch derives from two Old English words: nether, which means below below, and mead, which refers to meadow.