Tornado Memorial Park Fountain

Location: Monticello, IN, USA

The drinking fountain located in Tornado Memorial Park was originally situated outside the old White County Courthouse which was demolished following one of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history.

On 3 April 1974, 148 tornadoes formed in a 24 hour period. A tornado spawned by an intense supercell thunderstorm struck Monticello ravaging the central business district and destroying most of the downtown. The roof of the historic courthouse built in 1894 was ripped off and the clock tower toppled. The tornado was later classified as an F4.

The Tornado Memorial Park was completed in 2010 featuring the drinking fountain which had once stood in front of the courthouse.

The drinking fountain is casting #14 by J. L. Mott Iron Works of New York. It has a circular base with a trough for dogs at street level and a short bulbous pillar with flora design. The cornice, decorated with acanthus frieze, sits beneath the capital which originally supported a finial resembling a crown. A lion mascaron spouts water into a fluted basin designed for human use. A large trough for horses is located on the opposite side.

Source: http://www.monticelloin.gov/tornado-memorial

Source: http://www.newsbug.info/monticello_herald_journal/news/article_c0b9de4c-5301-5405-ab38-306e76dface2.html

Glossary:

• Acanthus, one of the most common plant forms (deeply cut leaves) to make foliage ornament and decoration
• Capital, the top of a column that supports the load bearing down on it
• Cornice, a molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building
• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Fluted, a long rounded groove decorating the shaft of a column
• Frieze, the horizontal part of a classical moulding just below the cornice, often decorated with carvings
• Mascaron, a decorative element in the form of a sculpted face or head of a human being or an animal

 

Clean Drinking Water in Sydney

Every street in Sydney should have its drinking-fountain. It should be at least as easy to obtain a drink of pure water as a glass of milk or beer. Sydney is a sub-tropical city, and sometimes it is warm and sometimes it is dusty … Sydney should be a city of fountains.
(J. H. Maiden, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens to the 1909 Royal Commission on Improving Sydney)

In the first decades of the life of Sydney houses were built without water and without taps. Even as late as the mid twentieth century some old housing stock had only an outdoor tap in the back yard. And before the streets were full of cars and buses that drank petrol, they were the domain of horses that needed to drink water.

Drinking Fountains for the City.
At the suggestion, or order of the mayor, eight highly ornamented cast-iron drinking fountains have been imported by Mr. A. Chisholm, from Glasgow, where they were manufactured by Messrs. Walter Macfarlane, and Co., of the Saracen Foundry. The fountains stand about eight feet high.

The structure, which is pagoda-shaped, consists of four columns, from the capitals of which consoles with griffin terminals unite with arches formed of decorated mouldings, encircling ornamental shields bearing the City Arms, a shield charged with a ship and beehive and working bees, surmounted by a mural crown impaled with a pick-axe surmounted by a star. The sinister supporter is an aboriginal native with a spear; the dexter supporter an English sailor. Motto, “I take, but I surrender.”

On two of the sides provision is made for receiving an inscription; whilst on the other two sides is the useful monition, “Keep the pavement dry.” Surmounting this is an open and highly enriched dome, the apex being occupied by a crown. Under the canopy stands the font with basin about two feet in diameter.

It has been suggested that if practicable one of these fountains, an engraving of which is appended, shall be placed in each ward of the municipality, in that part which constitutes the greatest thoroughfare. It is likely that they will be erected at or near the following places. Alfred Park, Flagstaff Hill near the Observatory, junction of William and Madleay streets, the entrance to Moore Park, the Haymarket, near the intersection of Park and Elizabeth streets, near the corner of Market and Sussex streets, and on the Circular Quay near the Custom House. The erection of these handsome fountains will be of general utility, and they will have a very pleasing effect. Their entire cost is £269 3s. 8d. (Australian Town and Country Journal Saturday 9 July 1870)

The Four Goddesses Fountain

Location: Maputo, Mozambique

It is believed that the drinking fountain located in Jardim Tunduru Botanical Gardens was donated by French citizen Eugène François Tissot who managed the water supply to the city.

Circa 1929. Used with permission. Source: http://housesofmaputo.blogspot.ca/2015/09/jaardim-botanico-de-maputo-fonte-das-4.html

The base of the famous forest green fountain is a Greek cross plinth with canted corners from which the pedestal arises. An elaborate console decorated with a scallop shell from which a string of pearls flows separates four panels on which the image of a water serpent is coiled around a trident. The trident is associated with the mythological Poseidon who struck the earth and water sprung up. A scallop is symbolic of baptism and fertility, and pearls represent purity and wisdom.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wallace_Maputo_Moz.jpg

The cornice contains the name of the manufacturer, Fonderies D’Art Du Val D’Osne 58 Bd.Voltaire Paris, and Ch.Lebourg Sc 1872. Four caratytids each subtly different in posture and dress, stand with raised arms to support a fish scale dome with fleur-de-lys cornice. The four dolphins with entwined tails at the apex is a symbolic protector of all things related to water.

Used with permission. Source: http://housesofmaputo.blogspot.ca/2015/09/jaardim-botanico-de-maputo-fonte-das-4.html

Used with permission. Source: http://housesofmaputo.blogspot.ca/2015/09/jaardim-botanico-de-maputo-fonte-das-4.html

Used with permission. Source: http://housesofmaputo.blogspot.ca/2015/09/jaardim-botanico-de-maputo-fonte-das-4.html

The statues in feminine form represent kindness, simplicity, charity and sobriety (at a time when the Temperance Movement was very active.)  They also represent the 4 seasons: Simplicity symbolizes spring, Charity: summer, Sobriety: autumn and Kindness: winter. The statues differ from each other in several other ways: Simplicity and Sobriety have their eyes closed; whereas the eyes of Kindness and Charity are open. They are also different in the position of the knee and feet, or by the manner in which their tunic is knotted at the bodice.

Source: http://www.melhoresdestinos.com.br/dicas-maputo-mocambique.html

Source: http://mapio.net/pic/p-30134051/

A stream of water descended from the interior of the dome into a basin. Tin cups were originally chained to the fountains until public hygiene became a prevalent social issue.

Glossary

• Caryatid, a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head
• Console, a decorative bracket support element
• Cornice, a molding or ornamentation that projects from the top of a building
• Plinth, flat base usually projecting, upon which a pedestal, wall or column rests.

White Memorial Fountain

Location: Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland

In 1892, the White family donated a drinking fountain to the town of Denny. It was erected near Denny Old Parish Church at Broad Street in the junction of Denny Cross.

Two years later, a family member, Mr. James B. White, gave £100 to the Town Council to create a fund from which the accrued interest would pay for annual maintenance of the cast iron fountain.

The relevance of the drinking fountain declined in the early 20^th century when it became an obstruction due to an increase in motor traffic, and the waning use of the structure as a source of water. In 1940, Mr. W. T. White of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the only living relative of the donor, was contacted for permission to remove the fountain due to the urgent national need for iron for the war effort. The fountain was removed in 1941.

The fountain manufactured by Messrs. Steven Bros. & Co. of the Milton Ironworks, Glasgow and London was seated on a square stone plinth.

A square base housed small demi-lune basins at ground level for dogs, and on four sides a large quatrefoil basin for horses was fed with overflow water. The highly decorated stanchion and central column were decorated with acanthus and floral relief. Lion mascarons, a symbol of guardianship, spouted water from which humans drank using metal cups suspended on consoles. A dolphin, symbolizing guardians of water, flanked each side of the stanchion.

The base of the lamp column contained four mascarons crowned with a shell motif. A Corinthian column supported a central gas lantern surmounted with a knob finial. By 1917 the central lamp had been replaced by three smaller globes. A dedication plaque contained an inscription acknowledging that the fountain had been presented by the White Family.

Glossary:

• Acanthus, one of the most common plant forms (deeply cut leaves) to make foliage ornament and decoration
• Console, a decorative bracket support element
• Column Corinthian, a fluted shaft with flowers and leaves at the capital.
• Demi-lune, half moon or crescent shape
• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Mascaron, a decorative element in the form of a sculpted face or head of a human being or an animal
• Plinth, flat base usually projecting, upon which a pedestal, wall or column rests.
• Quatrefoil, a type of decorative framework consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter
• Stanchion, upright bar or post providing support