The famous wood and concrete park benches portrayed in the Forest Gump movie were first designed and invented by New York City Park Department architect Charles Schmieder in 1934. The first Chrystie-Forsyth wood and concrete benches were installed in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Manhattan. These benches are called Chrystie-Forsythe, from the names of roads near the park.
Charles Schmieder was an important architect who was known for designing the first grounded wood and concrete park bench and designing the sea lion pool in the Central Park Zoo. He also redesigned Union Square Park and designed furnishings in the Manhattan Arsenal building. His nickname was "Uncle Charlie" because he was the architect for the children since he designed many playgrounds during his lifetime.
The reason for the invention of the Chrystie-Forsythe bench was because park benches kept getting stolen. The Chrystie-Forsyth benches had cement sides that went under the ground, thus making them almost impossible to steal due to the weight and depth of the concrete. A bonus is the concrete would not rot, so the wood could just be replaced. Genuine Chrystie-Forsythe bench legs go straight in the ground and do not have a wide base. There are modified Chrystie-Forsythe benches that are concrete with wood strips, but they are not the genuine. Back in the day the manufacturer of the benches was the Londino Stone Company of the Bronx.
The movie park bench in Forrest Gump is a fake prop with fibreglass instead of cement. The fibreglass was light and made the prop easy to move around. Look closely and you will see the legs are not buried in the ground. Take a look at a real Chrystie-Forsythe bench in Savannah and you will see the difference. The movie prop is in the Savannah History Museum. The location of the filming was Chippewa Square near the intersection of Bull Street and Hull Street.
Charles Schmieder earned his nickname "Uncle Charlie" because he was the architect for the city's children. As he was an architect for New York City parks, he designed many playgrounds. An example of a park playground that he designed was Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan.
