The ''Chiming Fountain'', also known as ''Cupid's Fountain'', the ''John Staehli Fountain'', ''Portland's City Park Fountain'' and ''Washington Park Fountain'', is an outdoor cast iron fountain and sculpture built in 1891 by John "Hans" Staehli. It is installed in Washington Park in

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 ...

, 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 A watering trough (or artificial watering point) is a man-made or natural receptacle intended to provide drinking water to animals, livestock on farms or ranches or wild animals. History In Australia, the watering trough is established so ...

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 In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...

, though the figure was damaged and permanently removed from the sculpture before or during the 1940s. The fountain was restored in 1960, but no longer functioned. Its condition was deemed "treatment urgent" 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 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. 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. It served as a

for horses pulling carriages into the park.Sybilla Avery Cook: * * 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. The fountain is made of cast iron and measures approximately tall with a 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. The pedestal has four horned gargoyle-like figures. On the bottom of the pedestal's west side is an unsigned inscription which reads: "J. Staehli/Portland, Org./64 Second St." 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. Some sources suggest the figure depicted

, hence one of the fountain's nicknames, "Cupid's Fountain". According to

Portland Parks & Recreation Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is a Bureau of the City of Portland, Oregon that manages the city parks, natural areas, recreational facilities, gardens, and trails. The properties, which occupy a total of more than . The bureau employs a total ...

, the figure was last recorded in 1912 in a photograph of Willis McElroy's band in the nearby bandstand. 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. The city planned to remove the fountain in 1960 due to disrepair. However, Mayor

Terry Schrunk Terrence Doyle Schrunk (March 10, 1913 – March 4, 1975) was an American politician who served as the mayor for the city of Portland, Oregon, 1957–1973, a length tying with George Luis Baker, who also served 16 years (1917–1933). Schr ...

instructed the parks bureau to begin a restoration after Francis J. Murnane, a local

longshoreman A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number o ...

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. Despite its restoration, the fountain was no longer functional. Its condition was deemed "treatment urgent" by the

's "

" program in February 1994. Since then, the fountain's plumbing has been restored. According to Smithsonian, the fountain is administered by the City of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission.

Reception

The fountain has been included in published biking and walking tours of the city, including one which described it as "elegant". It was also mentioned as a highlight of Washington Park in the 2010 guidebook ''Best Places: Portland'' and by ''

Delta Sky Magazine Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along wit ...

''. 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 The Northwestern United States, also known as the American Northwest or simply the Northwest, is an informal geographic region of the United States. The region consistently includes the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. ...

References

External links

* {{Good article 1891 establishments in Oregon 1891 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Oregon Cast-iron architecture in the United States Cast-iron sculptures Concrete sculptures in Oregon Drinking fountains in Oregon Fountains in Portland, Oregon Iron sculptures in the United States Outdoor sculptures in Portland, Oregon Sculptures by American artists Sculptures of children in Oregon Sculptures of Cupid Washington Park (Portland, Oregon) Works by Swiss people

Description and history

Reception

See also

References

External links