Broadway Fountain Research

Downtown Madison, Indiana is home to many beautiful and historical landmarks. Of those many landmarks, one particularly beautiful item stands out to Madison’s inhabitants and visitors. This wonderful monument is the Broadway Fountain, which is named after the street it belongs to. The Broadway Fountain was given to the city of Madison in 1886 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (Wright). Today, it is still revered as a magnificent work that the citizens of Madison would do anything to preserve.

Dimensionally, the fountain is grand. It stands at 26.6 feet high and is 35.6 feet wide. The work put into the fountain is clearly seen in its beautiful design. The fountain features the Odd Fellows symbol of three intertwined links decorate each surface on the fountain’s octagonal base. Four tritons surround the base, with each creature holding a shell horn that spouts water. A classically robed female figure holding a rod sits atop the highest basin” (“The”). The fountain’s French designer J.P. Victor Andre was an employee of the Janes, Kirtland Iron Company of Morrisania, N.Y., the area now known as the Bronx. In the Janes Kirtland Iron Company's catalog, the fountain was merely referred to as Model Number 5. For this fountain specifically, it is said that Andre referred to the neoclassical design of two European masterpieces, the Place-de-la-Concord in Paris or Crystal Palace Exhibition in London (Wright).

Putting a fountain in Madison was an idea that came from a group of the town’s leaders. They thought it would be a good idea for the city to have a nice drinking fountain. The fountain was initially meant to increase the membership of the society of Odd Fellows, which was critical to the re-election campaign of Mayor James H. Croz...

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...copper or pewter statue does not possess, in effect providing the ability to see details that may not be easily seen on a new statue” (Polston).

Today, Fountain Park stands out as one of Madison’s most visited landmarks. It is often used for community events and even wedding ceremonies for couples who desire to be married in front of the great Broadway Fountain. The park is centered between Broadway Street, Main Street, and Third Street. Aside from the fountain itself, Fountain Park is decorated with shrubbery and park benches for those who want to enjoy the beauty the park has to offer. The park, including the fountain, is lit up during the evening, allowing its magnificence to be viewed at all times. During the Christmas season, the fountain is even decorated with Christmas lights and ornamentation (“Parks”). It sounds like it would definitely be worth the visit.