Wilmington, DE: The Josephine Tatnall Smith Memorial Fountain

 If confession is good for the soul, then I confess that I love Wilmington, DE.  I could so easily see myself living there.  The Brandywine River flows through the heart of the city, and at its heart is a lovely little park (178 acres) that was designed by the inventor of the modern urban parkscape, Frederick Law Olmsted, in 1886.  The city ran a street car line into the heart of the oasis back in the day.  A long section of the abandoned rails are still part of the contemporary park.  

The western side is defined by the Brandywine river which flows next to a generous flood plain on its east.  Then a steep, forested rise pulls the park upward to a higher plateau that stops at 18th street.  Throughout are various monuments and memorials, a public rose garden, athletic facilities, hiking trails and nestled against and along part of the rising embankment is the little Brandywine Zoo, established in 1911.

Although the original design was set in 1886, over the years other elements were added (and some removed).  The Josephine Tatnall Smith Memorial Fountain was added in the early 1930's after the death of Josephine at the age of 77.  She was the daughter of Henry Lea Tatnall who was a businessman and artist.  In fact, he was the founding president of the Delaware Artist's Association--which had a hand in the founding of the Delaware Art Museum.  Josephine's husband, J. Ernest Smith (a lawyer and banker who drafted Delaware's low tax/corporate friendly legal framework known as the Corporate Act of Delaware, or CAD--you can't make this shit up!), upon her death commissioned the fountain in her honor.  He also purchased nearly 120 Japanese Cherry Trees to line the pathways all around the fountain and along the flood plain of the park.

The fountain was designed by Edward Canby May based on one found at the Villa Petraia in Florence, Italy.  The original having been created by Niccolo Tribolo (1500-1550) in the sixteenth century.  A nearby historical marker simply reads: "The Josephine Fountain has been drawing visitors to Brandywine Park sine the 1930's.  The fountain was built in honor of Mrs. Josephine Tatnall Smith who enjoyed walking through the park."  No reference to the out-sized contributions of either her father or husband to contextual her merits.

A Canada goose who prefers the Brandywine River to the Josephine Fountain.