Name/Title
FountainEntry/Object ID
2011.12.1Description
White marble fountain with flower-petal style bowl.Context
The Preston family installed this fountain on the grounds of the Hampton-Preston Mansion in the mid-1800s. The maker, Hiram Powers (1805–1873), received financial support from John Preston (1809–1881) and Caroline Preston (1807–1883) as early as 1836. Other works by Powers for the Hampton and Preston families include a bust of John and Caroline’s daughter, Sarah Buchanan "Buckie" Preston (1842–1880), and a casting of Wade Hampton I, both of which are currently on display in the Hampton-Preston Mansion.
The fountain remained in the gardens after the family sold the property. It was depicted in "Harper's Weekly" in 1865 and was repeatedly photographed in the 1870s. During Chicora College's tenure on the property, it was a focal point in several images. A 1910 issue of "Country Life in America" shows that the fountain was still functional at that time. However, the fountain’s basin soon suffered damage and by the time Chicora College merged with the College for Women, only the stem of the fountain remained as confirmed by a 1930 image in a Chicora College yearbook. In the 1960s and 1970s, portions of the basin were displayed in the Founders Garden at the Robert Mills House, but damage from a fallen tree limb led Historic Columbia to place the fountain in indefinite storage.
In 2004, the daughter of a Chicora College alumna donated the upper section of the fountain's shaft to the museum after her mother, Marion "Marian" Eddings Bailey Thompson (1898–1966), saved it from a trash pile in 1930. Following this donation, Historic Columbia began a multi-step conservation project to restore the original fountain and create an exact replica. The replica is now permanently displayed in the Hampton-Preston Gardens.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Hiram PowersRole
SculptorDate made
circa 1840Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
John Smith Preston, Caroline Hampton Preston, Hiram Powers, William H. Lawson, Marion Edings Bailey ThompsonRelated Places
Place
Location
Hampton Preston MansionCity
Columbia, South Carolina
