Chiming Fountain

The Chiming Fountain, also known as Cupid's Fountain,[1] the John Staehli Fountain, Portland's City Park Fountain and Washington Park Fountain,[2][3] is an outdoor cast iron fountain and sculpture built in 1891 by John "Hans" Staehli. It is installed in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. The fountain's name derives from the sound made when water drips from the upper basin. Staehli designed the fountain to serve as a watering trough for horses pulling carriages into the park. Based on a Renaissance fountain, it was originally painted white and included a statuette of a boy, possibly depicting Cupid, though the figure was damaged and permanently removed from the sculpture before or during the 1940s.

Chiming Fountain
The fountain in 2006
ArtistJohn "Hans" Staehli
Year1891 (1891)
Type
  • Fountain
  • sculpture
Medium
  • Cast iron
  • bronze
  • concrete
Dimensions3.7 m (12 ft); 2.1 m diameter (7 ft)
Condition"Treatment urgent" (1994)
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′16″N 122°42′10″W
OwnerCity of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission

The fountain was restored in 1960, but no longer functioned. Its condition was deemed "treatment urgent" by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in February 1994. Since then, its water-pumping function has also been restored. Chiming Fountain has been included in published biking and walking tours of Portland and has been mentioned as a highlight of Washington Park in guides recommending family-friendly activities in the city.

Description and history

The decorative fountain is located at the junction of Southwest Sacajawea Boulevard and Southwest Sherwood Boulevard in the main circle of Washington Park. It was designed by John "Hans" Staehli, a woodcarver from Switzerland who immigrated to Portland and was known for his decorative carvings of churches.[4][5] The fountain was commissioned by the city in 1891 for $400 and completed by Staehli later that year, becoming the city's second piece of public art.[2][6] It served as a watering trough for horses pulling carriages into the park.[1][7] The fountain has been given many different names, but is most commonly referred to as Chiming Fountain, in reference to the sound made by water dripping from the upper basin.[1][3]

Detail of the horned gargoyle-like figures

The fountain is made of cast iron and measures approximately 12 feet (3.7 m) tall with a 7-foot (2.1 m) diameter. It has a pedestal and two round bronze basins separated by a narrow post, and stands in an octagonal concrete base which served as a retaining pool.[2][8] The pedestal has four horned gargoyle-like figures.[2][8] On the bottom of the pedestal's west side is an unsigned inscription which reads: "J. Staehli/Portland, Org./64 Second St."[2]

Staehli's design is based on a Renaissance fountain and was originally painted white. The central post originally held a figure of a boy carrying a staff (or possibly a fish or a torch) from which water spouted.[2][8] Some sources suggest the figure depicted Cupid, hence one of the fountain's nicknames, "Cupid's Fountain".[1] According to Portland Parks & Recreation, the figure was last recorded in 1912 in a photograph of Willis McElroy's band in the nearby bandstand.[8] However, in the 1920s, freezing weather expanded water in the fountain, damaging the figure. The boy statuette was removed from the fountain and discarded by the 1940s, and it was not replaced.[2][8]

The fountain topped by a statuette of a boy, in a 1901 photograph

The city planned to remove the fountain in 1960 due to disrepair. However, Mayor Terry Schrunk instructed the parks bureau to begin a restoration after Francis J. Murnane, a local longshoreman and advocate for historic preservation, appealed its removal. Much of its original decoration was absent, so replicas of existing pieces were constructed at a cost of $450. The restoration cost around $1,775, including assembly and installation.[8] Despite its restoration, the fountain was no longer functional. Its condition was deemed "treatment urgent" by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in February 1994.[2] Since then, the fountain's plumbing has been restored.[9] According to Smithsonian, the fountain is administered by the City of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission.[2]

Reception

The fountain has been included in published biking and walking tours of the city,[1][7] including one which described it as "elegant".[10] It was also mentioned as a highlight of Washington Park in the 2010 guidebook Best Places: Portland and by Delta Sky Magazine.[11][12] Similarly, Chiming Fountain has been included in descriptions of the park in guides recommending child-friendly activities and sites in the city. These guides include the website TravelforKids.com and the 2009 book The 10 Best of Everything Families: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers, which listed Washington Park as one of the ten "Best Parks and Playgrounds" in the Northwestern United States.[13][14]

See also

References
  1. Foster, Laura O. (2014). Portland Hill Walks: 24 Explorations in Parks and Neighborhoods. Timber Press. p. 100. ISBN 9781604693256. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  2. "Washington Park Fountain, (sculpture)". Art Inventories Catalog. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  3. Jewell, Judy; McRae, W. C. (May 6, 2014). Moon Oregon. Avalon Travel. p. 86. ISBN 9781612388434. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  4. Harvey, Joan (May 8, 2009). "Architect who helped save buildings dies". The Oregonian. Advanced Publications. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.(subscription required)
  5. "National Historic Landmark Nomination: Skidmore/Old Town Historic District" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. p. 77. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  6. "1852–1900". Portland Parks & Recreation. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  7. Sybilla Avery Cook:
    • Cook, Sybilla Avery (1998). Walking Portland. Globe Pequot. p. 160. ISBN 9781560446040. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
    • Cook, Sybilla Avery (April 2, 2013). Walking Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 109. ISBN 9780762794119. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  8. "Washington Park". Portland Parks & Recreation. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  9. Hyams, Juliet (July 27, 2007). "Fountains of Life". The Oregonian (Sunrise ed.). Portland. p. DM06. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  10. Roll, Todd (2014). Pedal Portland: 25 Easy Rides for Exploring the City by Bike. Timber Press. p. 42. ISBN 9781604694239. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  11. Gottberg, John; Lopeman, Elizabeth (June 1, 2010). Best Places: Portland (8th ed.). Sasquatch Books. p. 420. ISBN 9781570616990. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  12. Schneiderman, John. "Portland's Pristine Parks". Delta Sky Magazine. MSP Communications. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  13. "Portland – Washington Park". TravelforKids.com. Globetracks, Inc. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  14. Magsamen, Susan (2009). The 10 Best of Everything Families: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers. National Geographic Books. p. 106. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

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