If fountains told stories, there’s one in the southwest section of Grant Park that has a complicated tale to tell. The Erskine Memorial Fountain — and the bench that goes with it — had an auspicious beginning 120 years ago as Atlanta’s first public fountain, which honored Georgia’s first federal judge following the Civil War. After a few years of public use, the bronze fountain and marble bench suffered from neglect and were moved in 1912 from downtown Atlanta to their current location at Ormond Street and Cherokee Avenue where the neglect continued in earnest. The fountain hasn’t spouted water in a very, very long time. Now this forgotten place may have taken an unexpected turn thanks to some Grant Park residents and organizations that have started discussions with the city of Atlanta to restore the fountain and bench. Preservationist and Grant Park resident David Yoakley Mitchell gave an update on the progress and what this piece of history says about our city and ourselves. For more, visit www.erskinefountainfund.org.
Q: What is so special about the Erskine Memorial Fountain?
A: It is very important. It was the city's first public fountain. Sculptor J. Massey Rhind created a remarkable piece of public art. It is a very unique amenity for Grant Park. Its proximity to the Beltline will allow people further evidence of Atlanta's really rich cultural history and experience. It also will regenerate interest in the vision of L.P. Grant and his creation of the first public park in the city of Atlanta.
Q: Where do things stand with the restoration?
A: The question is how do we seize apathy and turn energy that has been negative for so long into a positive. It is about understanding how to work in conjunction and in tandem with all the parties — the city, the zoo, the various neighborhood organizations, the residents, to get everyone to recognize the fountain's overwhelming benefit in understanding where we are as a culture.
Q: What does this memorial mean in the bigger context of Atlanta?
A: It is very easy to say that Atlanta tears everything down, and there is a large amount of truth to that. Restoring the fountain, bench and the overlook behind it is an opportunity for us to redeem ourselves. It doesn't represent our accomplishments. It represents our humanity, a moment where people once sat and paused and thought. It lets us realize that we are a part of that continuing experience.
Q: How long will the restoration take?
A: Next step is to develop a plan that will enable us to properly price it, and then raise additional capital. We are a few people working to put this together and could use additional citizen volunteers with specific skills and experience.
Q: You had a cleanup day recently. How did that go?
A: The area behind the fountain and bench was originally an overlook for Lake Abana, which is where Zoo Atlanta is now. The importance of the cleanup there is that it was a tactile and visual experience to re-engage people. We cleaned up the area in conjunction with the zoo, which was very important. Some of the volunteers were from outside Grant Park who recognized the value of something bigger than themselves, that this is not simply for us but for those who come after us.
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