McMillan Fountain facts for kids

The McMillan Fountain is a beautiful public artwork in Washington, D.C. It was created by an American artist named Herbert Adams. This fountain was finished in 1912 and officially opened in October 1919.

The fountain features a group of sculptures called the Three Graces. These figures stand on a base made of pink granite. The statues were made by a company called Roman Bronze Works. The fountain was first part of a big garden design by Charles A. Platt. Today, you can find the fountain close to its first spot at McMillan Reservoir in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

How the Fountain Was Made and Honored

Who Was James McMillan?

The McMillan Fountain was built to honor James McMillan. He was a very important politician. He worked hard to improve the water system in Washington, D.C.

How Was It Paid For?

People from Michigan helped pay for the fountain. They raised $25,000 by collecting pennies, nickels, and dimes. Many of these donations came from public school children! The U.S. Congress also gave $15,000 to help finish the project.

What Do the Statues Mean?

In 1913, Charles Moore, who worked with Senator McMillan, talked about the fountain. He said it was a perfect way to remember Senator McMillan. The fountain's location was also special. This was because Senator McMillan had worked to make sure Washington had clean water. He also helped build a water filter plant.

The Three Graces statues on the fountain are meant to make people feel good. They stand for honor, kindness, calm, and good behavior. These ideas were like the good things Senator McMillan did for the city.

A Cool Spot in the City

Unlike many other fountains in Washington, D.C., the McMillan Fountain always had water. Even during the hot summer months, it kept flowing. This made it a nice, cool place for people living in the Bloomingdale area to relax.

Moving and Storing the Fountain

Why Was It Moved?

In 1941, the fountain was taken apart. This happened because the reservoir needed to be made bigger. This was part of preparing for World War II.

Where Was It Stored?

First, the fountain was stored for a short time near McMillan Park. The bronze statues were put in crates. The stone parts, benches, and steps were stacked up. A wooden fence was put around them to keep them safe.

People looked for new places to put the fountain. They thought about the National Mall or West Potomac Park. In June 1941, there was a plan to put it near the District of Columbia War Memorial. Moving the fountain was going to cost about $17,500. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, these plans were stopped because of the cost.

Long-Term Storage

In 1945, people thought about putting the fountain back together again. By then, the fountain had been moved to an outdoor storage area in West Potomac Park. The cost to move it had gone up to $25,000.

In November 1945, it was decided the fountain would move to the new National Rose Garden. In November 1947, the plans for the garden and fountain were approved. The Senate also approved the money needed.

Another year passed, but nothing happened with the move or the garden. The Navy decided not to tear down some buildings that were needed for the garden. The fountain stayed "stored" outside on the National Mall. It was open to the weather and park visitors. The garden was never built. Sometime between 1957 and 1974, the fountain's 80 pieces were moved again. They went to a storage place in Fort Washington, Maryland.

Bringing the Fountain Back Home

Community Effort to Find It

In the late 1970s, people in the Bloomingdale neighborhood worked hard to bring the McMillan Fountain back. Rick Sowell, a leader from the D.C. Recreation Department, helped. Teenagers working in summer jobs programs helped him. They found 77 pieces of the fountain. They were covered in mud and plants in Fort Washington.

The fountain parts were collected over several summers. But the pink marble was too damaged to fix. Also, the Department of the Interior had lost the instructions on how to put the fountain back together!

Rick Sowell was allowed to take some parts. He took the nymphs (statues), the basin (bottom part), the pedestal (base), and two benches. He put them on display in Crispus Attucks Park in Bloomingdale. He had turned this park into a small museum.

A Special Day

In July 1983, a company moved five big pieces of the fountain to Crispus Attucks Park. This park was just a few blocks from where the fountain first stood. The fountain was officially opened by Mayor Marion S. Barry on July 29, 1983.

At the opening, a local resident named Robert Brannum said it felt like "having a cherished family heirloom back on the mantle." Richard Sowell, Jr., who was in charge of the Crispus Attucks Museum (now Park), believed that McMillan wanted all Washingtonians to take care of the city's history.

Back to the Reservoir

Because of money problems and a big fire at the museum, the full restoration of the fountain was stopped by 1991. In 1992, parts of the fountain that needed work were cleaned. National Park Service experts cleaned and polished them. The fountain was then put back at McMillan Reservoir. It was about 50 yards from its original spot.