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Brief History of The first
fountains in Kansas City were for horses, birds and dog serving a practical purpose.
In 1883 the Humane Society of Kansas City was established to prevent cruelty to
women, children and animals. In 1904 they built Kansas City's first fountain
near the west end of the intercity viaduct, 3rd and The oldest fountain in Kansas City. The fountain originally consisted
of an oval cut limestone basin surrounded by a raised sidewalk, a flower
garden, gas lamps and a balustrade above to the south. The water sprayed
upwards from a nozzle in the center. Originally
called the 1910
J.C. NICHOLS MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN 1910
sculpture by Henry Gerber of On Thomas
Swope was born in 1827 in The
total cost was $44,000 of which $20,000 was paid by the Swope heirs with
the balance provided by contributions limited to $1 each, so as to make
the number of contributors as large as possible. The Memorial design was
conceived by landscape architect George Kessler and designed by Wight
& Wight, architects. They also designed City Hall, 1921
AMERICAN LEGION FOUNTAIN This fountain was the second fountain at the intersection of Main, Delaware & 9th Streets. An earlier drinking fountain for both horses and humans was first on that site. However, as traffic increased it became too dangerous to use and it was removed. In November 1921 during The American Legion's national convention this new fountain was dedicated at that same intersection but was moved to Budd Park in the city's Northeast area when the street was redesigned in 1958. Now The Muse of Missouri stands near that intersection. Robert
Merrell Gage, a Kansas City sculptor designed the stone memorial and fountain.
Gage's design included bronze insets of figures of World War I action,
recessed into a pillar topped by 4 stern eagles. A list of Kansas City
American Legion posts named for men who died in the war was also included
on the monument. 1923
EPPERSON, 5200 Cherry This English Tudor style mansion was constructed for insurance executive, U.S. Epperson between 1919 & 1923. French doors at the east end of the house open onto a flight of stairs to a balustraded veranda built on a cut stone wall. Steps connect both sides of the veranda to the front and rear lawns. Beneath the veranda a fountain is incorporated into the stone work, designed as a deep niche surrounded by a rounded arch. Carved into the keystone of the arch is the head of a lion whose mouth once was the water outlet for the fountain. Projecting from the niche is a semicircular basin designed as stylized leaf forms curling over to form a scalloped rim. Set inside the niche is a smaller version of the outer basin that also contained water outlets. The residence is currently owned by UMKC and used as classroom and office space. Built
in 1924 by the J.C. Nichols Company, this 250 foot by 65 foot pool features
3 water jets down the center of the pool and 4 stone flower baskets at
the corners. The city lets the water freeze in the pool for winter ice
skating. During the 1920's and 30's it was a popular place for miniature
yacht racing by neighborhood boys just as the Northeast Concourse was.
1926-1950 1926
Liberty
Memorial was conceived as a memorial to peace and was built with citizen
contributions of $2.5 million that was pledged within 2 weeks. The land
was dedicated in 1921 and the memorial finished and dedicated in 1926.
This north facing fountain, steps and frieze were finished in 1935. The
main wall is 488 feet in length with a 2 level fountain. The water sprays
upward from the top fountain and flows into the lower level through notches
cut in the granite wall. The inscription reads "who more than self
their country loved"; "the glory dies not and grief is past" Delbert
Haff, born 1859, was the lawyer for the Kansas City Park Department during
the 1890's who designed a way for the public to easily pay for the new
parks and boulevard system. In 1895 there was a large group of residents
who promised to block the passage of new taxes to be levied to finance
and maintain the city parks. Haff's
plan allowed taxpayers as long as 20 years to pay the tax assessments
and the city to sell park certificates (bonds) to be redeemed from future
tax payments. The tax plan passed and it is to Delbert Haff that we owe
thanks for the parks and boulevard system that we have today in Bought
by the Nichols Company in Fauns
are Roman mythological creatures that are half human and half goat and
are called children of the spirit of the forest. The original fauns were
made in the 1700's in Since This
award winning rose garden was dedicated in 1938 to enhance 1938
CITY HALL FOUNTAINS, Two
parallel rows consisting of 4 rectangular basins 10' x 20', each with
a sea creature. Beginning closest to the building (north end of pond)
is a winged bronze sea horse spouting water into the pool. Dolphins on
either side also spout water. The other three pools have dolphin heads
coming up from under shells, also spouting water. The terraced pools were
originally surrounded by low hedges. The fountains were
designed by Carl Paul Jennewein. In
the 1920's and 30's the sport of miniature yacht racing was popular with
young The
On the 4th side is the American War Mothers insignia in colored enamel on stainless steel. 1950-1975 This
8,000 pound, lead god of the sea was made in 1911 at the Bromsgrove Guild
Studio in 1958 VOLKER FOUNTAIN William Volker was born in
This
free standing wall fountain was designed by the architects of the former
Old American Insurance Company building in 1959. The 30 foot long upright
granite wall now holds the name of the new owners, Russell Stover. A row
of water outlets placed perpendicular to the wall issues a gentle cascade
of water that falls down into a rectangular retaining pool where it is
recirculated. The
Muse was donated by Mr. and Mrs. James M. Kemper (Commerce Bank) in memory
their son, Lt. David Woods Kemper who was killed in This
sculpture of a bathing female figure and a child standing on a turtle
was erected in 1962 in memory of J.C. Nichols' daughter and her husband
who died in a fire in their home. The water flows from a sponge down into
the pool below. The figures are bronze and the pedestal is marble. It
was created in the Gemignani Marinelli Studios in This
1964 fountain was prompted by the city emphasis on landscaping. Originally
a paved courtyard was the entry for the 1910 Italianate Star building.
The effort removed the paving, added grass, flowers and a fountain directly
in front of the main entrance for the symmetry of a formal garden with
trimmed hedges. It looks as if it had been planned into the building's
original design. 1964
This
fountain is the feature of a sunken garden, one level below the street,
of the 1964 Bridge entrance over a fountain moat. A rectangular pool runs the
length of the building. A
marble, shaft supports a bronze chandelier 40 feet above the street. Water
flows from 4 masks on the sides of the shaft and into the pool below.
This reproduction of the original light across from the 1968
Large rectangular fountain pool built in late 1960's. The
Heart of America Scout District awards more Eagle Scout badges annually
than any other in the country. John Starr, then president of the Heart
of America Council BSA, wrote to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1966, when
they were tearing down the old Pennsylvania RR Station in New York City,
and asked for the donation of some sculpture from the station for the
planned monument. Not only did the Railroad company donate the sculpture
but also transported it to Kansas City by rail. The city donated the land
and private contributions paid for the installation. The 22' sculpture,
that held a clock and stood over the 7th Avenue entrance of the station,
was sculpted in 1910 by architect, Charles McKim of New York. Local architect, Maurice McMullen designed
the fountain. The steps up to the fountain represent the steps to becoming
an Eagle Scout. The fountain was dedicated on October 6, 1968. Pamona is the Roman goddess and protectoress
of vineyards, gardens and orchards. The marble original of this statue
is at the king's palace in Bangkok, Thailand. This bronze replica was
sculpted in 1900 by Italian artist Donatello
Gabrielii in Florence, Italy. It was erected
here in 1969. The
Bacchus fountain is located in Chandler Court, the site of Chandler's
Greenhouse from 1916 until 1958. This fountain was cast in lead in 1911
at the Bromsgrove Guild Studios in Worcestershire, England for a large
English country estate where it sat in the center of a large reflecting
pool. To be moved here in 1969, the lake had to be drained and the 10,000
pound statue had to be cut into sections. Bacchus is shown surrounded
by Nymphs and Satyrs. There are grape vines, sheaves of wheat and cornucopias
around the figures. The basin is red Mexican stone. Diana
is the Roman goddess of the hunt, portrayed here with cherubs. In 1970,
artist, Bernard Zuckerman was commissioned by the J.C. Nichols Company
to create a copy of the 1912 original statue made by the Bronsgrove
Guild for an English estate. The waterfall behind Diana is 17 feet high
and 56 feet long. Water flows over it at the rate of 2,000 gallons per
minute. The
walls of the hotel were constructed around this rocky cliff. Instead of
flattening Signboard Hill, the architects left the natural hillside as
a dramatic backdrop for the large hotel lobby. It has been lavishly landscaped
with boulders, trees, ferns and various seasonal plantings. A glittering
waterfall cascades down the hillside at a rate of 250 gallons per minute. Original
plans called for 3 small single fountains. Ewing Kauffman wanted something
spectacular and so spent $1.5 million of his own money for the fountains
that now line the outfield walls. Construction began July, 1973 on the
600 nozzle fountains. They are capable of 150 different displays, using
1/2 million gallons of water. There is a large pump room that houses
the controls. Kauffman had another set of controls installed in his suite. 1976 HERITAGE FOUNTAIN, 23rd & Topping Designed
in the Bi-Centennial year of 1976 by local artist Dale Eldred. The 85 foot steel pylon is centered in a 160-foot
by 160-foot base made up of tiny steps or corrigations.
Water sprays from 16 jets onto these steps, that are tilted downhill,
creating thousands of small waterfalls. Dedicated in October of 1977.
Mr. Eldred called his design a "collaboration
between human engineering “natural forces". This fountain was paid for by the efforts of the City of Fountains Foundation. St. Louis sculptors William Severenson and Saunders Schultz. The 18' high stylized tree-like forms in a 25' diameter base. Now called Oppenstein Park, The Oppenstein Jewelry Company was on this corner. When the brothers died, the store closed and the building remained empty. Their heirs, who lived in California, offered to donate 1/2 the value of the land if the county would pay them the other half. Private donations purchased the building to the north, all were razed and this county park was built. Dedicated
September 13, 1981 in memory of Bruce Watkins. In 1977 Mr. Watkins was
a city councilman who dreamed of a fountain to commemorate the achievements
of Kansas City's black citizens. A public fund raising campaign was begun
and with the addition of federal and state grants, $400,000 was raised.
Bruce Watkins participated in the ground breaking but died in 1980 before
the dedication. The 5,000 pound, 9 foot high sculpture was designed by
Chicago artist, Richard Hunt. The water sprays up from the basin and flows
down the 12 tiered pink granite pyramid. The
first Kansas City fountain to be erected north of the Missouri River.
In 1980 the city purchased 8 acres for the parkland. A committee of Northlanders
led fundraising efforts of businesses, school children and church groups
to raise the $250,000 necessary to build the fountain. They then determined
to have a year-round fountain and contacted the Hydrel
Company of Sun Valley, California that had made a similar fountain for
the city of Stuttgart, Germany. The fountain was dedicated on June 21,
1983. It is composed of an 80 diameter circular reflecting pool, equipped
with multiple water jets. The highlight of the fountain is its central
geyser that can propel water to a height of 35 feet, where it breaks into
a fine mist of tiny droplets. An inner circle of jets surrounds the central
spout and sprays water away from the center at a height of 10 feet. An
outer circle casts its arching water towards the center where it meets
the spray from the inner jets. In the winter, the fountain looks like
a giant snowball. The park where the fountain sits was named for Anita
Gorman, Northland resident, past president of the Park Board and one of
the fundraisers for the fountain. A
design competition in 1982 was won by David Baker, a local artist and
Viet Nam veteran. It features a series of rectangular interconnected pools
going from smaller at the top of the hill (south) to larger at the lower
end of the hill. These represent the growing US involvement in the war.
The water spills into 2 distinct pools at the lower end, symbolizing the
split opinions of the US citizens over US involvement in the war. $1.3
million was raised by private donation. The main feature of the memorial
is a 10' x 155' wall inscribed with 385 names of those killed or missing
in action from the 7 county metro area. The land was donated by the Park
Department. The $1.3 million needed for building was given by private
donations. The fountain was dedicated
in May, 1985. The
park area was the site of the city convention hall built in 1899 that
burned down and was rebuilt in 90 days for the Republican convention.
When the second convention hall was torn down in 1937 after the building
of Municipal Auditorium, plans for a downtown park were formed. The first
park was constructed in 1954 with center fountains. In 1985 the park was
renovated with new walkways, more trees and a new fountain. This $1 million
dollar fountain contains 112 computer controlled jets that spray water
upwards. It then falls and cascades over a wall into a collecting pool. Barney Allis was owner/manager of the Muehlebach Hotel for 30 years. This
fountain was dedicated on October 6, 1991. It was funded by private donations
and KCMO Parks Department and cost $1.8 million to build. 80' basin, 48
nozzles are real brass fire hose nozzles, holds 76,000 gallons of water.
Tom Corbin, local artist was the sculptor. The fountain depicts 2 firefighters
in position pointing their hose on a fire. On the back a semi-circle of
short pillars. Engraved on them are the names of the 84 Kansas City firefighters
killed in the line of duty. The first was Barney McBreen 10-3-1889. In the center of the posts is a firefighter
with his head bowed. Dedicated
on June 21, 1995, this $2 million dollar fountain features 6 children
playing in the water. It is the largest of Kansas City's fountains. The
children are on pedestals that are each increasingly higher than the
one before it. There are 12 water
sprays in the oval pool. Local sculptor, Tom Corbin, used local children
as models. The children are: a
girl named Joy; a boy using crutches called Meeting Challenges; a girl
ballerina; a boy playing soccer; a boy standing on his hands; a girl with
pigtails wading. |
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