Another Hit on the Public Weal

Mar 18. 2024
By: Fred Leeson

Recent years have been tough on Portland’s works of public art. Protests of one sort or another toppled statues of Presidents and damaged (seemingly permanently, at first) the beloved Elk statue and fountain.

The latest victim is the smaller Shemanski Fountain located in the South Park Blocks between S.W. Main and Salmon Streets. The attractive monument with the bronze statue of “Rebecca at the Well” is now surrounded by temporary chain-link fencing.

“The fountain has been vandalized and has damage to the stonework – plus two of the three dog bowls are missing,” reports Mark Ross, a Parks Bureau spokesman. “Portland Parks & Recreation is currently exploring restoration options with our partners at the Water Bureau and Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC).”

The monument was given to the city in 1926 by Joseph Shemanski, a Polish immigrant who founded the Eastern Outfitters store that served as a major Portland clothing and department store for more than 40 years. The store closed about 1953, a few years after Shemanski’s death.

In better days (Regional Arts & Culture Council)

Portland architect Carl Linde designed the trefoil stonework, and the sculpture by Oliver Lawrence Barrett, an art professor at the University of Oregon, was added in 1928. Rebecca, shown with a water jug on her shoulder, was a Biblical character noted for her kindness to strangers and animals.

The monument has two layers of three fountains with bronze bowls, the lower three being at ground level intended for dogs or small animals. Water service has been sporadic over the years as the Water Bureau places more importance on revenue-generating service than on public fountains. The bronze bowls likely were stolen by people wanting to sell the metal as scrap. The monument has been vandalized on earlier occasions and was substantially renovated in 2007.

Ross said figuring out a restoration plan might take a few weeks. How long the repairs take after that is yet unknown.

Should you stop by in the near future, take a moment to remember how irresponsible behavior of the few can impair the beauty of the city and the enjoyment of all -- in a world of supposedly intelligent creatures. 

Fred Leeson is a former president of the Bosco-Milligan Foundation and a member of the foundation's Board of Advisors.