Skidmore Fountain, Bronze fountain in Old Town Chinatown, Portland, United States
Skidmore Fountain is a three-tiered bronze fountain at the corner of First and Ash Streets in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. The structure features four bronze horse heads and fine decorative details across each level.
Stephen Skidmore, a local druggist, left funds in his 1883 will to build a public fountain for the city. Sculptor Olin Warner completed the work in 1888, and it has remained in its original location ever since.
The three basins of the fountain were originally designed so that people, horses, and dogs each had their own level for drinking. This shared use of a public space is still readable in the structure today.
The fountain is outdoors and open at all times. Old Town Chinatown is walkable from the city center, and a MAX Light Rail stop is close by for those coming from farther away.
At the 1888 dedication ceremony, a local beer distributor suggested filling the fountain with beer, but city officials turned down the idea. This small episode, now largely forgotten, hints at the playful side of Portland in the late 19th century.
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