Rainey Memorial Gates
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Why it's listed
Sculpted bronze gates mark an entrance to the New York Zoological Park in Bronx Park, the Bronx. Paul Manship began designing them in 1926 and spent five years on the work, expanding the plan from wrought iron to full bronze sculpture. The casting took two years and was done in Belgium. Two gates are separated by a central post modeled as a tropical tree, topped by a seated lion framed by spiky leaves. The arches show stylized animals and plants, representing animals then in the zoo. Low bronze screens on marble bases link the gates to granite gatekeepers' lodges roofed with twenty-six-ton granite slabs. Manship modeled the animals in profile so the design reads well from both sides. Grace Rainey Rogers gave the gates as a memorial to her brother Paul Rainey, a big game hunter who supported the zoo and whose expeditions brought it polar bears, walrus and musk oxen. They were dedicated in June 1934 and are considered an early example of 1920s decorative art.
Significance in brief: The gates are a major work by the noted American sculptor Paul Manship, done in a naturalistic style of the kind admired in the 1920s and influenced by the French Exposition des Arts Decoratifs. They serve as a transition between the concrete highway and the natural forms of the park. They were given as a memorial to big game hunter Paul Rainey, a patron of the zoo.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000823, listed March 16, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | New York Zoological Park, New York |
|---|---|
| County | The Bronx |
| Listed | March 16, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000823 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 20th Century |
| Architect / builder | Paul Manship (sculptor); casting done in Belgium |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, publicly owned and in use as part of a park. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.85514, -73.87736 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000823.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7284860
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.