by Monica Tsai
Staff Writer
Chris Farley is searching for clues to the past.
As treasurer of the Springfield Improvement Association & Woman’s Club, she wants to restore the fountain in Klutho Park, which was designed by sculptor C. Adrian Pillars.
“Pillars was quite a renowned American sculptor,” said the English-born Farley, a Springfield resident for two years. “He has two statues in the Hall of Statuary in Washington, D.C. Joel McEachin [of the City’s Historic Preservation Commission] told me he was one of the top three sculptors in America when he died in 1937.” The original 15-foot electric fountain had many pieces: the base, water bowl, vase or urn, a footer carved into the shape of a lion’s head and a cherub on top. The Woman’s Club has possession of the original vase, which was inscribed in 1910 with a dedication to Mary Dillon, founder of the Springfield Improvement Association. The bowl and the lion’s head footer have vanished.
The bronze cherub topper has been gone since the late 1940s or early 1950s when the fountain’s appearance began to decline. Since 1968, the Parks Department has had the angel in storage, but has been unable to locate it. The off-center, deteriorated base of the structure is all that remains in Klutho Park today.
The structure is made of marble, except for the bronze figure at the top. Matching those materials is part of the plan. Intron Technology, a restoration company, will be refurbishing the fountain, saving as much of the original as possible.
The absence of the water bowl is particularly vexing for the women of the club as they cannot decipher its floral pattern simply from old photographs.
“We need to find at least a piece of the bowl so we can tell what this design is,” said Farley. “The cherub and the other missing pieces will be recast.”
Recently uncovered was a handwritten note by Pillars, which suggests a record of Pillars’ drawings exists. If such a record could be found, Intron Technology may be able to duplicate the sketches. Also, Pillars eldest daughter may be alive and residing somewhere in Jacksonville.
“A lot of the records are not sorted or archived,” said Farley, who began researching the project last summer. “It’s a miracle that this book [the club’s minutes] survived because the Woman’s Club building fell into such disrepair. Lisa [Neary, a long-standing club member] found this book in the corner under some plaster.”
Total expenses for the fountain’s restoration are estimated at $50,000-$70,000. The cost for the original fountain, which was erected in 1910, was $782. To raise funds for the restoration project, the Woman’s Club intends to sell bricks, which can hold up to three lines of text, for $50 apiece. The chamfered or curved-edge bricks will lie flat, encircling the fountain and extending outward as far as the number of bricks sold. Farley hopes to sell 2,000 bricks.
“We need to sell the bricks because doing the fountain will take our reserves,” she said. “I haven’t physically gotten the money for any since we just started but I think we’re in the region of 200 bricks.”
On May 4, the 100th birthday of the club, members will hold a lawn party to rededicate the restored fountain. A bronze plaque will be set in the walkway along with the bricks to retell the fountain’s history. The walkway will also serve as additional support for the fountain’s base.
“We are determined it will be done,” said Farley. “The fountain will be put back.”
Because the Springfield Improvement Association & Woman’s Club is a non-profit organization, any bricks sold in excess of the fountain’s restoration cost will be applied to the beautification of Klutho Park.
“Klutho Park was one of the finest parks in the South,” said Farley. “If you went down to the park today, you’ll see these beautiful balusters. In the original bandstand, the Woman’s Club used to hold weekly concerts there.”