Carmarthen Park Drinking Fountain

Location: Carmarthen, Wales

Carmarthen Park opened in 1900 and it is supposed that the drinking fountain located within the park near the Gorsedd Circle was erected in the same year.

Creative Commons License, Chris Whitehouse. Source: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3230773

The fountain designed by the foundry of David King & Sons (Glasgow) was listed a Grade II historic building on 23 November 2003. It is seated in a concrete block on a two tiered octagonal plinth. The spiral fluted pedestal supports an octagonal capital decorated with alternate panels of rosettes and spigots. Four ornamental scroll consoles which protrude from the tapering shaft originally supported drinking cups. The finial is a tapered extension with two spheres.

The original design of this fountain offered a large circular basin. It is unknown if this model was customized or the basin was removed.

Creative Commons License, Chris Whitehouse. Source: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3230773

Used with permission, John P. Bolton. Source: Scottish Ironworks Foundation

Glossary

• Capital, the top of a column that supports the load bearing down on it
• Console, a decorative bracket support element
• Finial, a sculptured ornament fixed to the top of a peak, arch, gable or similar structure
• Fluted, a long rounded groove
• Rosette, a round stylized flower design
• Pedestal, an architectural support for a column or statue
• Spigot, a device that controls the flow of liquid

 

 

Columbus Man and Beast Fountain

Location: Columbus, Georgia, USA

In 1890, a contract between the Water Works Company and the city included provision of an ornamental fountain to be placed in front of the courthouse (this fountain is now located at Fourth Street and Broadway.) Three other Victorian fountains situated along Broadway clarify the adopted name of Fountain City.

Source: http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=0e1911de-7f19-42e1-a11f-1726026dabb9&gid=3

Source: http://bfarr-theblueglass.blogspot.ca/2009_10_01_archive.html

Design #14 by J. L. Mott Iron Works of New York has a circular base with a trough for dogs at street level and a short bulbous pedestal decorated with flora. The cornice, decorated with acanthus frieze, sits beneath the capital which supports a finial resembling an urn surmounted with globe. 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.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=0e1911de-7f19-42e1-a11f-1726026dabb9&gid=3

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelgriffey/4491149419/

A historic marker furnished with details is located on site; Fit For Man And Beast / This watering fountain at Broadway and 10th / Street represents the last one of several located / in each block down Broadway. It is Columbus’ / oldest public fountain, dating back to the earliest / days of the city. Called the Man and Beast / fountain. It contains three watering bowls, one / at street level for dogs, a large one in the middle / for horses, and a medium-sized one near the top / for people. Although we no longer go to public / fountains to collect drinking water, fountains / offer our community an identity and sense of / history in our public spaces. / Erected By / Historic Columbus Foundation, Inc. / Historic Chattahoochee Commission / 2008

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

Pedestal

300th Post

The post for the Saavedra drinking fountain dated July 24, 2017 denotes the 300^th drinking fountain that I have successfully researched. I am so proud to have reached this milestone.

When I first decided to write this blog, I had no idea that so many cast iron fountains survived throughout the world. It seems strange that a metal prone to rusting would be chosen to manufacture drinking fountains when these structures were intended to be placed outdoors in an oxygen rich environment with the purpose of providing drinking water (oxygen and water creates a chemical reaction in cast iron known as rust).

These cast iron structures and monuments are now being recognized as historic artifacts, and are being restored with public and government funding.

The invaluable assistance generously given by John P. Bolton of the Scottish Ironwork Foundation has been instrumental in ensuring the accuracy of my research. My appreciation of his guidance is immeasurable. I would also like to thank all the photographers who have granted permission to use their photos.

 

Saavedra Fountain

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

This wall drinking fountain is model D17 cast by the Kennedy Patent Water Meter Co. Ltd. of Kilmarnock, Scotland, now known as Glenfield & Kennedy Ltd. It is inset to the wall of the Luis Maria Saavedra railway station in the Northern end of Buenos Aires. It was installed in 1891 when the station opened.

The cast iron backplate has straight sides with arches at the top and bottom of the structure. A central push button released water from a shell motif spigot into a fluted demi-lune basin. A galvanized cup, originally suspended by a chain, captured drinking water from patented self-closing taps.

The fountain hosts several bas-relief inscriptions;

• Keep The Pavement Dry (civic virtues such as temperance were often extolled in inscriptions on drinking fountains);
• FCCA; an acronym for Ferrocarril Central Argentino translated as Central Argentina Railway.
• Kennedy Patentee;
• Kilmarnock.

This model is also located on the Alton Railway Station Platform in Hampshire, England.

Used with permission. Photographer: http://johnworacker.com

Used with permission, Paul Busby. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/busb/3353597652/

Glossary

• Bas-relief, sculpted material that has been raised from the background to create a slight projection from the surface
• Demi-lune, half moon or crescent shape
• Fluted, a long rounded groove
• Spigot, a device that controls the flow of liquid