The Anderson Observer

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The county's Robert Anderson Fountain, which spent decades downtown and the last few years at the Anderson County Museum, is about to be restored.

The fountain, which was installed on the county square in 1906, was later moved to storage at the beginning of the construction of the "new" Anderson County Courthhouse in 1993. From there, the fountain's journey grows a bit hazy. For a while it may have been in storage, but some reports say most of disassembled pieces of the fountain were discovered in a field and moved to the musueum.

This week, the Warren Lasch Conservation Center at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston began dismantling the fountain to take to their facilities to begin an 18-plus month restoration. The last restoration effort was in 2002 when money was raised to have it restored and moved to the Anderson County Museum.

Named for Revolutionary War Colonel and State Militia General Robert Anderson, the Civic Association of Anderson, led by President Pearl Fant, organized the effort to have the fountain created. The designers of the piece were T. A. Wigington and C. C. Cole. Parts of the fountain were constructed in Anderson by the Anderson Foundry and Steel Company while the Cherubs were ordered from a company in New York. Two of the zinc cherubs are original. The third is an iron replica. Minus the water basin, the fountain weighs in at about 5,500 pounds and is just over 16-feet tall. According to the musuem, the fountain is considered one of the first outdoor sculptures in the world to have underwater lighting.

"It is an honor to be part of this effort which will see the continued preservation of the Robert Anderson Memorial Fountain," said Anderson County Museum Curator Dustin Norris. "The conservation will rejuvenate and protect the fountain from the elements, but it will also allow us to learn more about its construction, composition, and the history of its use over time. Our understanding of this artifact will grow as it is preserved for future generations.