Part 2: The return of the Goddess of Liberty
Last week’s Freeland Drive column told the story about the travels of the Freeland Fountain to different places in Stratford. It was first located in front of city hall in 1897 and then in front of the old fire hall on Waterloo street in 1907. In 1931, the fountain was moved to its third location at the triangle of land formed by the junction of Waterloo Street and Lakeside Drive. It was rededicated there during the Stratford centennial in 1932. Modular Kitchen Sink
The location of the fountain became a problem in the winter because of its placement at the apex of a triangle formed by an uphill incline on either side. The ever-increasing number of automobiles had turned it into a traffic hazard. In 1944, the fountain was damaged by a car crash and the Goddess of Liberty sculpture and its pedestal were broken off.
What happened to them became a mystery. There were rumours that vandals had dislodged the statue after the collision and simply thrown it into the river. Dredging, however, failed to turn it up. Another theory suggested the metal of the statue had been salvaged and melted down for the war effort, which was still underway.
The fountain lasted until 1957. It was in such bad shape that it was disassembled and the pieces stored partly in the fire station. In1969, bits and pieces of the fountain were found from far and wide, and the fountain was reassembled and placed in Upper Queen’s Park.
In 2002, the Stratford and District Horticultural Society’s decided, with support from the city and community, to return the fountain to downtown on Ontario Street near the steps leading to the Memorial Garden. Funds were raised to restore the fountain and move it to its existing location. It was unveiled on September 2002 without the goddess and globe.
In 2004, Friends of the Freeland Fountain formed a committee to create a replica of the Goddess of Liberty. Co-chaired by Allan Watts and Darlene Irwin, with help from John Banks, the committee’s plan was to raise funds to replicate the bronze statue. A search ensued to find similar statues that could be used as models, and to find artists who would be interested in the project.When Banks accessed the websites of the famed Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C., it led him to the senior objects conservator in the Center for Materials Research, Carol Grissom. Here, through the happiest of circumstances, was the motherlode for determining the provenance of Stratford’s Goddess of Liberty. Then the unexpected happened in the form of an electrifying phone call from Grissom. While browsing in The Brass Knob, a Washington, D. C., antique shop, she came across a copy of Johann Gottfried Schadow’s sculpture, missing only the bronze globe of the Stratford design. Someone with a good eye had found it at a flea market and then sold it as an antique.
By the end of April 2005, thanks to the inspired research of Banks and the invaluable assistance of Grissom, Stratford had a replacement figure for the Freeland Fountain. But yet again, there was a need for another fundraising campaign to pay for the statue.
Why not a strawberry social? Let’s run an ad:
“On Sunday afternoon a strawberry social will be held in the Shakespearean Gardens to raise money to restore the Goddess of Liberty to her original place atop the Freeland Fountain. The Goddess will be in attendance. In addition to strawberries and ice cream, there will be music by two ensembles of the Stratford Concert Band as well as demonstrations on the lawns by the Stratford Badminton Club.”
And so it was, on Aug.4, 2005, the Goddess of Liberty was returned to the top of the Freeland Fountain.
For a more detailed account and pictures see Cam Trowsdale’s paper, Story of the Freeland Fountain, at the www.streetsofstratford.ca website.
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