At the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, just in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is Eakins Oval. Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a scenic avenue that runs through the cultural heart of the U The Philadelphia Museum of Art, located at the west end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia 's Fairmount Park, was established in 1876 The loop of road is usually host to a large volume of traffic as it connects the core of the city with Fairmount Park, Kelly Drive (formerly East River Drive), and Martin Luther King, Jr. Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kelly Drive is a winding four-mile road along the Schuylkill River from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the neighborhood of East Falls Philadelphia where it connects with Drive (formerly West River Drive). During holiday parades and other major municipal events, such as the Thanksgiving Day Parade, it is shut down to automobile traffic and it becomes the center stage for the gathering.
The oval was part of urban planner Jacques Gréber's design for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which he proposed in 1917. Jacques-Henri-Auguste Gréber ( 10 September 1882 - 5 June 1962) was a French architect specializing in Landscape architecture [1]
The oval is named for Thomas Eakins, Philadelphia resident, world-famous realist painter, and fine arts educator. Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins ( July 25, 1844 – June 25, 1916) was a realist painter, Photographer, sculptor Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə
The southeastern side of the oval is used as a parking lot. Parking lot (called a car park in Australia and the UK) is a cleared area that is more or less level and is intended for Parking vehicles
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The Washington Monument
Just inside the northwest edge of Eakins Oval, in front of the Philadelphia Museum Art stairs, stands the Washington Monument fountain. It was commissioned and designed by sculptor Rudolf Siemering. The sculpture was dedicated in 1897 at the Green Street entrance to Fairmount Park. Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was moved in 1928 to its present location after construction on the parkway was completed. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1997, work began to restore the statue under the direction of Margo Berg of the Philadelphia Art Commission. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Over the years, the sculpture had loosened from its base, and the fountain had ceased to function properly. The restoration was completed in June of the same year, 100 years after it was dedicated.
The bronze and granite sculpture features a uniformed George Washington mounted on a horse. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the Washington and his horse are poised on top of the fountain, facing southeast down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway towards Philadelphia City Hall. Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The face of the sculpture was made from an impression of the former president made while he was still alive. The lowest level of the monument features animals and plants that are native to the country.
The Washington statue, it's self, is a combination of two statues, the first a bust of George Washington and the second a horseback statue of Frederick The Great. The story goes that when President William McKinley was visiting Philadelphia for Washington's birthday in 1900, the city had no statues of Washington to present to the President.
Frederick The Great's statue was changed to become George Washington by removing the head and replacing it with the bust of Washington. Proof of this can be seen in the stance of the horse with one hoof raised, which indicates that the rider was injured in battle, which Washington never was, yet Frederick The Great had been. Another way to notice is that Washington is wearing a German Army Uniform.
Gallery
 Detail from the top of the monument, facing southest. |
 Detail from the southeast side of the monument. |
 Detail from the northeast side of the monument. |
See also
External links
- The City of Philadelphia Department of Public Property - Additional Photographs of the Washington Monument fountain
- Fairmount Park Official Website
- Eakins Oval is at coordinates Coordinates:
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