Waddell Fountain
410 Cumberland Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B, Canada
Formally Recognized:
1988/05/30
Other Name(s)
n/a
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1914/01/01 to 1914/12/31
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2007/02/13
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
Waddell Fountain, a light-coloured stone and granite structure installed in 1914, occupies a prominent site next to walkways and playground amenities in downtown Winnipeg's Central Park. The City of Winnipeg designation applies to the fountain on its footprint.
Heritage Value
Waddell Fountain is an exuberant and rare Winnipeg example of High Victorian Gothic Revival design. Richly embellished and steeple-like, the stone structure also is an exceptional display of the mason's craft. It was erected to commemorate Emily Margaret Waddell, the wife of a local temperance leader. Its design by architect John Manuel, based on a magnificent Edinburgh monument to writer Sir Walter Scott, also symbolizes the Scottish heritage of many early city residents. Built and dressed by the William Penn Stone Co. of Minneapolis, the fountain remains on its original site and is an enduring focal point in Central Park, one of the city's earliest public parks.
Source: Winnipeg City Council Meeting Minute, May 30, 1988
Character-Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Waddell Fountain site include:
- the structure's placement in the northern part of Central Park near formal walkways
Key elements that define the fountain's lively and finely sculpted High Victorian Gothic Revival style, its connection to Emily Margaret Waddell, and its original function, include:
- the tall, tiered, symmetrical form composed of a light-coloured stone superstructure rising to a crocketed pinnacle from the centre of a moat set within a stepped granite base
- the superstructure's supports, including flying buttresses interconnected by large nodding ogee arches and bridge-like anchors over the moat
- components that serve dual aesthetic and functional roles, including intricately carved lion head water spouts and double-tiered basins that overflow into the moat
- a rich collection of Gothic details, identically arranged on all sides, including arch and floral motifs, pinnacles, etc.
- the words "Waddell" and "Fountain" inscribed on two sides of the superstructure
- the pump that circulates water in the system, housed in a concrete compartment under the fountain
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Manitoba
Recognition Authority
City of Winnipeg
Recognition Statute
City of Winnipeg Act
Recognition Type
Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure
Recognition Date
1988/05/30
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Architecture and Design
Function - Category and Type
Current
- Community
- Commemorative Monument
Historic
Architect / Designer
John Manuel
Builder
William Penn Stone Co.
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
15-30 Fort Street Winnipeg MB
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
W0118
Status
Published
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Waddell Fountain
Waddell Fountain, a light-coloured stone and granite structure installed in 1914, occupies a prominent site next to walkways and playground amenities in downtown Winnipeg's…