Loyal B. Stearns Memorial Fountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loyal B. Stearns Memorial Fountain |
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The fountain in 2018
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| Artist | A. E. Doyle and Associates |
| Year | 1941 |
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| Condition | "Treatment urgent" (1993) |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| 45°31′26″N 122°42′03″W / 45.52378°N 122.70091°W | |
| Owner | City of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission |
The Loyal B. Stearns Memorial Fountain is a special outdoor drinking fountain and sculpture. It was built in 1941 in Portland, Oregon. The fountain was designed by a company called A. E. Doyle and Associates. You can find it in Washington Park. This fountain was made to honor a former Oregon judge named Loyal B. Stearns.
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About the Fountain and Its History
The Loyal B. Stearns Memorial Fountain is located at 2432 West Burnside Street. This spot is on the northeast side of Washington Park. The design for the fountain came from A. E. Doyle and Associates. They won a contest to create the best design.
Who Was Loyal B. Stearns?
Loyal B. Stearns was a lawyer, a judge, and a politician. When he passed away, he left $5,000 to the City of Portland. He wanted this money to be used for a drinking fountain. He specifically asked for it to be on upper West Burnside Street. The Blaesing Granite Company helped build the fountain.
What Does the Fountain Look Like?
The fountain is made of a slightly curved wall of Cold Springs Rainbow granite. It has three shiny chrome-plated brass drinking fountains on the front. These fountains are at different heights, so people of all sizes can use them. There is also a water trough at the back.
The fountain is about 8 feet, 8 inches tall. It is 16 feet, 8 inches wide and 5 feet, 4 inches deep. It sits on a granite base. An important message is carved across the top. It says: "LOYAL B. STEARNS MEMORIAL 1936".
Keeping the Fountain Safe
The fountain is considered an "abstract" sculpture. This means it uses shapes and forms rather than showing something exactly as it looks. In 1993, a group called "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" checked on the fountain. They said it needed "treatment urgent," meaning it needed repairs soon.
The City of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission takes care of the fountain. The city also listed it as an important historical item in 1984.
