The Children’s Fountain, 1982
Robinson Iron
Lincoln Park
At the northeast corner
of Clark Street and North Avenue
Chicago’s first female mayor, Jane
Byrne, played an active role in the creation of this fountain. Originally
located on Wacker Drive at Wabash, Byrne worked with Robinson Iron in Alexander
City, Alabama, to create a playful piece
that would excite the imagination of the city’s children, but also be worthy of
the prominent location.
Dedicated in 1982, the fountain includes four tiers of
musical instruments, playful children and arching cranes. Robinson Iron is
known for purchasing Victorian era patterns and molds and creating new
combinations, as is demonstrated in this piece. Constructed on-site in the
original location, the cast iron and cast aluminum fountain was later
dismantled and stored when Wacker Drive reconstruction began in 2001.
The
Chicago Department of Transportation and Chicago Park District worked together
with Robinson Iron to restore the fountain, including recasting damaged and
missing pieces. It was put into its current location near the Chicago History
Museum in 2005. The antique green verdegris
now appears much darker on the restored version than the original, making it
difficult to see the ornate detail on the 30-foot fountain.
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