“Big day for Ashland’s iconic Butler-Perozzi Fountain”

Lithia Park’s historic Butler-Perozzi Fountain ended one “life” and began another on April 9. Outlier Construction workers dismantled the five parts of the fountain with the help of a huge crane.

Ashland businessmen Gwin Butler and Domingo Perozzi bought the fountain at the Italian Pavilion of San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. It was dedicated at the grand opening of Lithia Park on July 4, 1916. The fountain was carved in Florence of soft Italian marble, a type suitable for indoor statuary but not for Ashland’s freezing winters and hot summers. Hence, it was in poor condition by the 1980s, when the community rallied to fund a major renovation.

Replacement required

Now, 40 years later, the marble fountain has deteriorated to the point that another attempt at renovation would be a short-term Band-Aid, not a solution.

Ashland Parks Foundation Construction Steering Committee, with support of the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, decided to create a replica of the fountain using Vermont marble that is much harder and more water-resistant.

The goal is twofold. One is for our Butler-Perozzi Fountain to continue to be a beautiful community gathering place for the next hundred years and beyond. Second, this approach ensures that money donated by community members and foundations is used wisely, not spent on a renovation that will last for only a few decades.

The overall project is about much more than the fountain, requiring people with a variety of skills and experience. Dale Shostrom, with decades of experience both as a builder and as a member of the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, is the overall project manager. He will be assisted by Mike Gardiner, Ashland Parks Foundation president, and by Kevin Caldwell, parks manager at Ashland Parks and Recreation.

Comprehensive repairs

Beginning in early May, Outlier Construction is going to remove and rebuild the entire concrete stairway and terrace area. All of the old underground electrical and plumbing lines will be replaced and upgraded during the five- to six-month process.

Local sculptors Jack Langford and Kevin Christman will carve a replica of the fountain. Langford will travel to a quarry in Vermont, probably in late April, to choose pieces of marble. At this point, it is too soon to estimate when the fountain carving will be done.

Though our Butler-Perozzi Fountain is “only” 111 years old, it is part of a historical saga that stretches back to a courtyard in Florence, Italy, in 1652. Even more astounding, our fountain’s saga includes a palatial home in Florence that was built in 1495 — and family descendants of the home builders still live there today! If you like math, that’s 531 years of the same family in the same home.

Peter Finkle leads Ashland walking tours. See WalkAshland.com to learn about his tours, or to request a private tour for your group or family.

More photos and original article at Ashland.News