A Better Look at the Venus Fountain
Unless the responses to the Seventh Street Park survey prove otherwise, it appears there is overwhelming support in Hudson for restoring and/or re-creating the Venus fountain, which was originally installed in the Public Square in 1883 and replaced, in 1975, by the "Inspiration Fountain," in an attempt at beautification and modernization.
Much abused and twice repaired, the statue of Venus, which surmounted the fountain, has been in storage since 1998. According to some accounts the stone pedestal, which was also the top pan of the fountain, was pulverized at Gold's Scrap Yard in 1975. Gossips recently heard, however, the totally unsubstantiated rumor that the pedestal lives on in someone's backyard, but probably not in a backyard anywhere in Hudson.
It always seemed that the fountain was so well documented--its dimensions were published in the newspaper, and countless images of it exist in archives and on post cards--that it would be possible to replicate the missing pedestal. These two images, however, recently brought to Gossips' attention, from the Evelyn and Robert Monthie Slide Collection in the Collection of Columbia County Historical Society, reveal the details of the fountain better than any images we've seen before and make the task of replicating the pedestal even more possible.
Photos from the Collection of the Columbia County Historical Society; The Evelyn and Robert Monthie Slide Collection
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That pedestal is fantastic! My first impression is that it resembles The Statue of Liberty's Torch.
ReplyDeleteLet's get it done!!
ReplyDeleteLovely!
ReplyDeleteThats quite the pedestal ! ! !
ReplyDeleteWell I guess I'll be the one to pop the bubble so to speak. The question that remains unanswered is just what will the City of Hudson do to ANY 7th St. park fountain after it is installed. Will there be any style of fencing or restricted access to the fountain similar to what exists at the fountain now? I believe that the answer is yes, based on Hudson's Gov't concerns of personal injury lawsuits. So, will the Venus Project find her in prison & behind bars? Maybe that question requires add'l research & a response from the powers that be.
ReplyDeletetmdonofrio: The decades that Hudson spent in decline have forced the city fathers to always take the cheapest short term route. I'm sure the fence was cheaper than insurance at the time. Maybe now that Hudson is planing to spend an outrageous amount of money on park improvements, we could buy enough insurance to keep Venus out of jail. The self-defeating policies regarding liability versus everything else have put us all in jail or at least on the other side of the bars/ fence/signs. To resurrect Venus with fountain and walks with no bars/fence/signs would bring praise to any community and would be the most significant sign of hope for positive change in Hudson I have seen to date.
ReplyDeleteI was told the purpose for the fence and the high voltage warning signage was concerns around the uplighting in the present fountains bowl electrocuting some poor soul.
DeleteMr. Gump:
DeletePeople with bad intentions & without respect for public property & others were the cause of fountain imprisonment.
May I recommend that before the bulldozers & the chainsaws arrive at 7th St. Park that the grant keepers meet with Hudson's Gov't/DPW/Attorney and at least ask what "they" intend to do w/ a replacement fountain for 7th St.
You may ask if security cameras will be installed too. Hello Mr. Orwell.
Unfortunately, not all residents of Hudson are forward thinkers. There are vagabonds & ne'er do wells too.
I plan to visit the park soon & observe what gives. Maybe I'll see you there.
I'm for the return of Venus & the xfer of the existing fountain to the entrance of Promenade Hill Park, aka The Peoples Park.