TARGET 161026

REASSEMBLING A FOUNTAIN



Kansas City, Missouri, April 1, 2015: Workers unload pieces of the J.C. Nichols fountain at the Country Club Plaza to put it back together. It had been missing from the plaza for 4 months to get a complete restoration.


Sculptures from the J.C. Nichols Fountain had been taken to a warehouse where they were cleaned, restored, and where conservator Jonathan Taggart used a torch to apply a hot wax treatment that will help preserve the iconic landmarks against sun, harsh weather, and the water from the fountains. This the fountain's first major renovation in 50 years.


The horse and rider statue is but one of the overall fountain's many sculptures. Here, it is shown being eased into place on its pedistal - not a simple job since the statue depicts a horse and rider falling over sideways. So, the very heavy metal statue, itself, is completely off balanced to one side and must be forced flat onto the pedestal to be bolted to it.




Other statues that make up the fountain are also lowered and put into place.

This fountain is the best-known and most-photographed of all of the city’s fountains. It is located at the east entrance to the popular Country Club Plaza district. The figures were sculpted by Henri Greber in 1910 and adorned the mansion of Clarence Mackay in Long Island, NY. Over the years the fountain was vandalized and eleven parts were missing. The Nichols family initiated the purchase and installation which was funded by the family, the city and private contributions including a collection by school children in the Kansas City area. It was brought to Kansas City in 1951 and refurbished by Herman Frederick Simon and dedicated in 1960. The J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain has four heroic horsemen which are said to represent mighty four rivers of the world: the Mississippi River (fending off an alligator), the Volga River (with the bear), the Seine and the Rhine



Just two weeks later, on April 14, 2015, with all the statues in place, all the plumbing hooked up and double-checked, and the entire fountain in pristine shape, Kansas City held an official "Fountain Day" celebration to honor both the famous landmark and the memory of J.C. Nichols, early developer of commercial and residential real estate in Kansas City, Missouri.

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If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, more information,
pictures and videos can be found at the following web sites:

Kansas City Star
Jedunn.com (contractors)
Kansas City Star (full story of the prior removal of the statues)
KCparks.org


Many thanks to Gail Husick for this target.