The Broadway Fountain in Madison, Indiana by Sculptor J. P. Victor Andre

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Recommended: History of Broadway Fountain

The Broadway Fountain located in Madison, Indiana is a famous artistic structure that is well known for its historical background and current use as an ideal location of weddings and other gatherings. In the course of a little over a century, the fountain has been in danger of being completely discarded twice and has been replaced with an exact bronze replica. Designed by French sculptor J. P. Victor Andre, the original Broadway Fountain was presented to the city of Madison in 1886 after being featured in the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition (National Park Service).
The original cast iron Broadway Fountain, formerly known as No. 5, appeared in the New York Janes, Kirtland and Co. catalog at the listing price of two thousand five hundred dollars. The same company was also credited for the creation of the Dome Capital in Washington, D.C. The fountain was approximately twenty-seven feet high and thirty-six feet wide. It was comprised of two tiered basins with four tritons surrounding the base layer. The middle layer had two large birds. A robed female sat on the top of the fountain holding a rod. The fountain also had a reflecting pool with several pots along the pinnacle partition. The fountain appeared in the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the Agriculture Nave. Several years after the exposition ended, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows purchased the fountain for the city of Madison, Indiana in August 1884 for one thousand two hundred forty dollars. “There were four or five Odd Fellow Lodges in Madison at that time, and they all pulled together and had it shipped (here),” said Paul Yount (as cited in Wright). The original intended purpose of the fountain was a drinking fountain, but its purpose eventually cha...

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...munity gatherings such as concerts. It is an esteemed attraction admired by many people in Madison and around the world. It is one of only four of its kind left in existence made by Janes, Kirtland, and Co. There are three other similarly designed fountains located in Savannah, Georgia, Poughkeepsie, New York, and Cusco, Peru.
The Broadway Fountain is a historical, artistic structure, originally designed by J. P. Victor Andre, which holds great value to the city of Madison, Indiana. Its extensive history contributes to its profound value and appreciation by many. Due to its restorations, the Broadway Fountain is expected to last for years to come.

Works Cited

National Park Service. U.S. Department of Interior. Web. 9 April 2014.
Old Madison. Web. 2 April 2014.
Rohwer, Tim. The Daily Nonparil. 2014. Web. 9 April 2014.
Wright, Ruth. Round About. Web. 9 April 2014.

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