The Skidmore Fountain, one of the more historic fountains in Portland, is located between SW Burnside and Ankeny, 1st and Front. The fountain is situated near the west end of the Burnside Bridge at SW First and Pine streets within downtown Portland.
It is Portland’s oldest piece of public art. It was dedicated in memory of Stephen G. Skidmore.
According to the stories, Stephen Skidmore, a Portlander and a druggist, took a trip to France for the Paris Exposition. He allegedly returned inspired to create a fountain for his home city with the same beauty and appeal. He left $5,000 in his will for a fountain intended for “horses, men and dogs” to drink from.
Associated to this fountain’s history is the story of the legendary Portland brewer Henry Weinhard offering to pipe fresh beer through the fountain 24/7 during its dedication ceremony. This was perhaps in response to the city’s anti-alcohol-themed Benson Bubblers water fountains. The offer was politely declined, however, although it is thought by some that it would have certainly made for an interesting social experiment.
The bronze fountain was constructed in 1888 in the center of Portland which continues up to the present day where the fountain serves as a gathering point for several Portland events, such as SantaCon, Plunderathon, Zombiewalk and several protest and activist gatherings.
The Skidmore Fountain recently went through some renovation. In 2005, the Portland Water Bureau provided a grant of $33,000 for the restoration of this fountain to its original beauty. Working in cooperation with the Regional Arts & Culture Council, a conservator coordinated upgrading the plumbing, cleaning and repairing the granite basin, reconfiguring the basin floor to improve drainage, conservation of the bronze sculpture, and caulking all joints and replacing the cement coating on the column base.
Today, Skidmore Fountain is the centerpiece of a Portland retail institution—the Portland Saturday Market, which runs every weekend each year from March through December 24. The fountain is a gathering spot for visitors to the Saturday Market. When Portland Saturday Market is operating, the open area around the fountain is an attraction for street performers where spectators are entertained.
