Fairfield, Maine
The citizens of Fairfield, Maine wanted to recapture some of the mystery and excitement of the fountain which once graced Newhall Memorial Park. Over the years bits and pieces had deteriorated severely until only the upper bowl and several detached feet belonging to two tiny cherubs were left. The lower part of the fountain had been rocked over in an effort to stabilize the piece. Some remembered it had once been much more.
Originally cast by the J. W. Fiske Company in 1895 the two tier fountain had been crowned with a four foot statue of a fairy holding flowers. Her upraised hand was a salutation to all to join her in a romp through the wooded parkland where the fountain pool was located. Just below her stood two cherubs-one blowing a horn to announce the arrival of the fairy on top. At the base were three additional cherubs in different poses with sly smiles on their dimpled faces.
Now they existed only in picture postcards of the era. What to do?
Tom Munson, chairman of the fountain committee contacted Robinson Iron. Our craftsmen evaluated the existing conditions and removed the rockwork to expose the original cast iron. The entire fountain was disassembled and brought back to our facilities for restoration. Many of the decorative details were missing as well as the sculptural elements. Fortunately Robinson's collection of antique patternwork allowed us to replicate most of these. The fairy and two of the cherubs would need to be sculpted.
First a rendering was made using period photographs as a reference. Then a wire armature was constructed for each figure. Clay was applied to the wirework in stages gradually building up the surfaces to the desired form. Weeks of work went into sculpting the various details. When all was right the figures were given to the patternmakers to be converted into production patterns.
Once castings were made assembly began. Each piece had to be positioned and attached by welding or bolting. After months of seeing everything in pieces it was exciting to see it all come together. Perhaps the most excitement was generated by the fairy. As she took shape it seemed a mystical aura started to surround the fountain. Her tiny wings seemed to lift her up as she offered her fistful of flowers to all who would join her.
Installed in Newhall Memorial Park in a beautiful granite pool she is creating a lot of magic for the town. Folks from all over are coming to see something at once familiar but truly special. As Tom Munson said "...I think it's important to have details from the past saved, it's absolutely beautiful the way it came out."
Note the scaled photo being used as a guide.
