What a difference a coat of paint can make!
In the next few weeks all eight monumental urns on the Park Avenue medians will be repainted by neighborhood and garden club volunteers.
The urns are Victorian originals and were manufactured by the J.L. Mott Iron Works Company in New Jersey. It is believed they were created around 1876.
The 50′ high by 48′ wide Centennial Fountain, also known as The Children’s Fountain, used to grace the Eutaw Place median until it was irreparably damaged by an ice storm in 1945. It, was created by the same company and was exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Since the J.L. Mott Iron Works Company created both the fountain and the monumental urns, the urns may have been brought to Bolton Hill with the fountain or close to the same time. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._L._Mott_Iron_Works.
Want to help paint urns or freshen the median gardens? Volunteers are needed in teams of 2 or 3 for Saturday, May 20 at 8 a.m. Meet at the intersection of Park Avenue and McMechen Street. Tools, water and snacks provided. To sign up or for more information contact Lisa Johnson, flora.bhgc@gmail.com.
Download PDF