''Fountain for Company H'', also known as ''Second Oregon Company Volunteers'', is a 1914 fountain and

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

Plaza Blocks The Plaza Blocks, two courthouse squares known as Chapman Square and Lownsdale Square, are located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The blocks are north of Terry Schrunk Plaza and east of City Hall. The northmost square is named after ...

, in the United States. Dedicated to the men of Company H of the

2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a military regiment recruited in the U.S. state of Oregon during the Spanish–American War. As the first foreign war in U.S. history, it was the first time members of the Oregon National Guard had fo ...

killed in service during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, the

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

memorial was installed in Lownsdale Square in 1914. It is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the

Regional Arts & Culture Council The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city� ...

. The memorial has been included in published walking tours of Portland.

Description

The

and

memorial is installed on the west side of Lownsdale Square, facing the

Multnomah County Courthouse The Multnomah County Courthouse is a historic building that served as the courthouse for Multnomah County, Oregon from 1911 to 2020. It is located in downtown, Portland, Oregon, the county seat, and is listed on the National Register of Historic ...

along Southwest 4th Avenue between Main and Salmon Streets, in

Downtown Portland Downtown Portland is the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found. ...

. It features a drinking fountain within a clamshell-shaped canopy and measures approximately 89 x 63 x 31 in. The memorial commemorates the men of Company H of the

killed in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

during the

. An inscription on the west side reads:

History

Design selection and unveiling

The memorial was gifted by an auxiliary group of women relatives (mostly mothers) of the men in Company H, who held meetings to organize the effort and raise funds. To select a design, a city competition was announced in January 1914, with $450 appropriated for a fountain "to be executed in bronze and stone"; contestants were required to submit "front and side elevations, section and plan" using "simple monotone wash renderings or pen and ink". On February 13, an auxiliary meeting was held for "all present members and all women who joined at the time of the close of the war or since that time... whether they are members now or not", so final arrangements could be made. Beaver's design was chosen by a committee under city commissioner William L. Brewster on February 17, earning the artist a $50 prize. The fountain was erected by August 30, and unveiled on September 2. Henrietta White, great-granddaughter of the auxiliary's first president Diana McDonell, unveiled the fountain by removing a flag presented to the company by girls from Portland High School. The program included: a speech by Colonel Charles E. McDonell, a captain in the company who served as chairman of the ceremony and described the history and activities of the auxiliary; a poem written by auxiliary member June McMillan Ordway and read by Josephine Burns Hoben; the drum corps of the Sons of Spanish–American War Veterans; and an opening prayer and closing benediction by Reverend C. E. Cline. Brewster accepted the memorial on behalf of mayor H. Russell Albee and the city, and the program ended with the singing of "America".

Subsequent maintenance

The fountain was surveyed by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

's "

Save Outdoor Sculpture! Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999. History Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...

" program in 1993. During

Occupy Portland Occupy Portland was a collaboration that began on October 6, 2011 in downtown Portland, Oregon as a protest and demonstration against economic inequality worldwide. It is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on ...

(2011), the fountain was screened off and displayed a sign reading "Please respect this fragile monument". Keith Lachowicz, the

's art collections manager, assessed the memorial's condition multiple times during the demonstration, along with the nearby monuments ''

Thompson Elk Fountain ''Thompson Elk Fountain'', also known as the David P. Thompson Fountain,. David P. Thompson Monument, Elk Fountain, the Thompson Elk, or simply ''Elk'', is a historic fountain and bronze sculpture by American artist Roland Hinton Perry. The fount ...

'' (1900), ''

Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument The ''Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument'', also known as the ''Spanish–American War Memorial'' or simply ''Soldiers Monument'', is an outdoor sculpture and war memorial monument honoring the dead of the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regi ...

'' (1906), and '' The Promised Land'' (1993). He said the war memorials sustained graffiti, which was removed by veterans within the group of occupiers, and confirmed all the public artworks on the site had received no major damage, as of late November. The screen had to be replaced by the city once after being removed. Lachowicz said of the protesters: "We had some very interesting philosophical debates about war monuments, but they ended up being pretty respectful." The memorial is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

References

External links

* {{Public art in Portland, Oregon 1914 establishments in Oregon 1914 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Oregon Drinking fountains in Oregon Fountains in Portland, Oregon Limestone sculptures in Oregon Monuments and memorials in Portland, Oregon Outdoor sculptures in Portland, Oregon Plaza Blocks Spanish–American War memorials in the United States Vandalized works of art in Oregon