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Birge Fountain

Introduction

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Julius Birge presented the Birge Fountain to Whitewater, the city of his birth, on July 4, 1903. The fountain is 17.5 feet high with two catch basins that collect water flowing from the "Maid in the Mist' and the four cherubs riding on dolphins. It was originally cast of zinc but was thoroughly renovated and recast in bronze.

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Monument, Landmark, Statue, Tree

Home, Property, House, Building

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Dedicated on July 4, 1903, this was one of the largest fountains in the county at the time. As a result, there was some consternation among the city officials over the amount of water it would require, but the gift was still accepted and became a symbol of the growing city of Whitewater. The fountain was placed on the site where the "Little Brick' schoolhouse stood, which Julius Birge attended as a child. The fountain is 17.5 feet high with two catch basins that collect water flowing from the "Maid in the Mist" and the four cherubs riding on dolphins. It was originally cast of zinc but was thoroughly renovated and recast in bronze. After restoration work, the fountain was rededicated in 2003.

Sources

Albertype Company photographs. Birge Fountain, Accessed November 13th 2020. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM80143.

Architecture and History Inventory, January 1st 2007. Accessed November 13th 2020. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI146782.

Additional Information