Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith and Sons Memorial Fountain

Last updated

Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith
and Sons Memorial Fountain
Dr. Samuel Smith Statue 02.jpg
Artist William Walcutt
Year1880 (1880)
Medium
SubjectSamuel Mitchel Smith
Dimensions6.5 x 2 x 2.5 ft. (statue)
8 x 5 x 5 ft. (base)
Location Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Coordinates 39°59′43″N83°01′12″W / 39.9954°N 83.02006°W / 39.9954; -83.02006
Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith and Sons Memorial Fountain
Interactive map of the statue's relocations
(coordinates are approximate)

The Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith and Sons Memorial Fountain is an 1880 sculpture and memorial by William Walcutt, installed at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. The bronze and granite memorial is dedicated to Samuel Mitchel Smith, Surgeon General of Ohio during the American Civil War, and the first academic professor for the treatment of the mentally ill in the United States.

Contents

The statue stood at Columbus's downtown center at Broad and High streets from 1880 to 1915. Its poor placement on the street prompted its move to St. Francis Hospital, site of the present-day Grant Medical Center, where it stood until the hospital's demolition in 1957. The statue was then moved to the Columbus Health Department's Franklinton office, where it stood until it was stolen and recovered in 1994. It was then relocated to its current site, the Harding Hospital at the Wexner Medical Center, on the Ohio State University campus.

Description

On Broad Street looking south down High Street, 1880 Samuel Smith statue 04.jpg
On Broad Street looking south down High Street, 1880

The bronze sculpture of Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith (1816–1874) was sculpted in 1880 by Columbus artist William Walcutt. [1] Smith was the Surgeon General of Ohio during the American Civil War (1862–64) and the 25th president of the Ohio State Medical Society (1869–70). [2] He was also the first professor of psychiatry (or its equivalent) in the U.S., at Willoughby Medical College (later known as Starling Medical College; the present-day Ohio State University College of Medicine). [2] Smith later served as a dean of the school, from 1849 to 1858, and again from 1860 to 1863. [3] [2]

The statue measures approximately 6.5 x 2 x 2.5 ft and weighs 900 pounds. It rests on a granite base measuring approximately 8 x 5 x 5 ft and weighing 14 tons. His full-size figure is shown wearing a Prince Albert coat and with his hands folded behind his back. Two sides of the base display bronze oval cameos with profiles of the doctor's two deceased sons, Charles and Samuel. The left side depicts his son Charles who died the same year, 1874, at the age of 21, while the right depicts his son Samuel, who died in 1878 at the age of 30. [4] [5] [6] The front of the base has a fountain, formerly operational. The fountain consists of an ornamental animal head spout and semi-octagonal basin. [7] The fountain base was chosen as the family was impressed with drinking fountain statues they saw in Europe. [5] Smith reportedly preferred the idea of a social, usable drinking fountain over a headstone in a cemetery. [8] The statue's inscription reads "Memorial Fountain, to Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith and His Sons, 1880." [5]

In 1994, the statue was valued by the city at $25,000, though its replacement cost would exceed that due to its almost seven-foot height and composition of solid bronze. [9]

History

Featured in the 1908 Columbus Plan for its original poor placement Columbus Plan 04.jpg
Featured in the 1908 Columbus Plan for its original poor placement

The Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith and Sons Memorial Fountain was developed as a memorial to the doctor by his widow and daughters, five years after his 1874 death. [3] It was forged at the Kelby Foundry in New York state. [5]

The memorial was originally installed at the southeast corner of Broad and High streets around 1880. [4] It was authorized in 1879, and officially unveiled on Memorial Day in 1881, and was then given as a gift to the city. [10] The statue was a feature of the 1908 Columbus Plan; [8] the statue's placement interfered with traffic, as it was installed on sidewalk sticking out onto Broad Street. [3] This problem, as well as the fountain not functioning and defacement by vandalism, spurred its first move. [5]

The statue in front of St. Francis Hospital as it is torn down, 1957 Samuel Smith statue 05.jpg
The statue in front of St. Francis Hospital as it is torn down, 1957

In 1915, after 35 years, it was relocated to the Starling Medical College (also known as St. Francis Hospital) at the intersection of State and Sixth Streets. [4] The move led the statue's admirers to believe it escaped being adorned with a hat, an occurrence that happened each autumn by an unknown visitor, though the acts continued. [11] The statue stood there for 42 years. Around 1957, the hospital was torn town and replaced by the larger Grant Medical Center. The statue was viewed as being in imminent danger. Columbus City Council's president suggested it be moved to the City Health and Safety Center (the Columbus Health Department offices), where it was temporarily stored in its basement. Several months later, it was placed on its front lawn, at the southeast corner of the Scioto Peninsula, where the statue faced downtown Columbus for 37 years. [10] [12] In 1987, local psychiatrists honored Smith for his pioneering ideas by visiting his statue. [1] The statue was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in 1993. [4]

The statue by the Columbus Health Department, 1957 The Historical Bulletin Volume 9 a.jpg
The statue by the Columbus Health Department, 1957

Ohio State University's psychiatry department chair began looking into having the statue relocated to the campus in the mid 1980s. [13] Before this could happen, however, the statue was stolen from its Health Center site. The October 1994 theft led to the statue's sale to an antique dealer in Atlanta, and resale to a dealer in Durham, North Carolina, for $6,800. The statue was then confiscated by Durham police. A Columbus-area former antiques dealer was arrested over the theft. Columbus police claimed he and others were looking to steal a statue of President James A. Garfield. The man was fined and given a 90-day prison sentence. [14] [9] Damage to the statue's shoes indicated its theft to a Columbus-area antiques show promoter who viewed it in Atlanta, who also received a tip that the statue might be the one stolen in Columbus. [15]

The statue was returned to Columbus for restoration in December 1994. Following the restoration, the statue was placed at the Harding Hospital, Ohio State's then-new psychiatry building on the Wexner Medical Center campus. [16] The building opened in March 1994 with the statue in mind; a foundation was created at that time for the statue outside its Upham Drive entrance. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus, Ohio</span> Capital and largest city of Ohio, United States

Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago, and the third-most populous U.S. state capital after Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas. Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties. It is the core city of the Columbus metropolitan area, which encompasses ten counties in central Ohio. It had a population of 2,138,926 in 2020, making it the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio and 14th-largest city in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Wexner</span> American businessman founder of L Brands

Leslie Herbert Wexner is an American billionaire businessman, the founder and chairman emeritus of Bath & Body Works, Inc.. Wexner grew a business empire after starting The Limited, a clothing retailer with a restricted selection of profitable items, and later expanded his holdings to include Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, Inc., and Bath & Body Works.

Bath & Body Works, Inc. is an American specialty retail company based in Columbus, Ohio. It owns Bath & Body Works, posted $11.9 billion in revenue in 2021, and was listed as 248 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list of largest United States companies by revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wexner Center for the Arts</span> Contemporary art, Ohio State University

The Wexner Center for the Arts is the Ohio State University's "multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio State University College of Medicine</span> Medical school at Ohio State University

The Ohio State University College of Medicine is the medical school at The Ohio State University and is located in Columbus, Ohio. The college is nationally recognized as a top institution in both education and research, as reflected by rankings in U.S. News & World Report,No. 28 (tie) in Best Medical Schools: Research. In 2023, its two primary teaching hospitals were ranked as one of the best hospitals in the U.S. in 9 and 10 different specialties, respectively; and Nationwide Children's Hospital was named to U.S. News & World Report's select honor roll of U.S. Best Children's hospitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationwide Children's Hospital</span> Hospital in Ohio, United States

Nationwide Children's Hospital is a nationally ranked pediatric acute care teaching hospital located in the Southern Orchards neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The hospital has 673 pediatric beds and is affiliated with the Ohio State University College of Medicine. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to infants, children, teens, and young adults aged 0–21 throughout Ohio and surrounding regions. Nationwide Children's Hospital also sometimes treats adults that require pediatric care. Nationwide Children's Hospital also features an AC- designated Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, one of four in the state. The hospital has affiliations with the nearby Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Nationwide Children's Hospital is located on its own campus and has more than 1,379 medical staff members and over 11,909 total employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Columbus, Ohio</span>

Columbus, Ohio has a generally strong and diverse economy based on education, insurance, banking, fashion, defense, aviation, food, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology. Overall, it was ranked as one of the top 10 best big cities in the country in 2010, according to Relocate America, a real estate research firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schiller Park (Columbus, Ohio)</span> Park in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

Schiller Park is a 23.45-acre (9.49 ha) municipal park located in German Village, a historic neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. The park is bounded by Reinhard Avenue to the north, Jaeger Street to the east, East Deshler Avenue to the south, and City Park Avenue to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Fitrakis</span> American politician and writer

Robert Fitrakis is an American lawyer, political author, political candidate, and Professor of Political Science in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Columbus State Community College. He has been the editor of the Columbus Free Press since 1993 and wrote extensively about the 2004 U.S. presidential election and related 2004 U.S. election voting controversies. Fitrakis is a Green Party activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus State Hospital</span> Psychiatric hospital in Columbus. Ohio

Columbus State Hospital, also known as Ohio State Hospital for Insane, was a public psychiatric hospital in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1838 and rebuilt in 1877. The hospital was constructed under the Kirkbride Plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Paz</span> American physician and health care executive

Dr. Harold L. Paz is Executive Vice President of Health Sciences at Stony Brook University and Chief Executive Officer of Stony Brook University Medicine. He is the former Executive Vice President and Chancellor for Health Affairs at Ohio State University and chief executive officer of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Prior to that, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at CVS Health/Aetna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Carmel West</span> Hospital in Ohio, United States

Mount Carmel West was a primary care hospital located in Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio on a 37-acre campus. Mount Carmel West was the oldest hospital in the Mount Carmel Health System, founded in 1886 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The hospital was situated between Ohio State Route 16 and U.S. Route 62, and accessible from exits on Interstate 70 and Ohio State Route 315. The Mount Carmel College of Nursing is located on hospital grounds. U.S. News & World Report regionally ranked Mount Carmel East and West Hospitals the number 18 best performing among hospitals in Ohio and high performing in four specialties and procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Acton</span> Public health official in Ohio, US

Amy Leigh Acton is an American physician and public-health researcher who served as the director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019–2020. She played a leading role in Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Columbus, Ohio</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Columbus, Ohio

The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic affected the city of Columbus, Ohio, as Ohio's stay-at-home order shuttered all nonessential businesses, and caused event cancellations into 2021. The shutdown led to protests at the Ohio Statehouse, the state capitol building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Square</span> Public square in Columbus, Ohio

Capitol Square is a public square in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The square includes the Ohio Statehouse, its 10-acre (4.0 ha) Capitol Grounds, as well as the buildings and features surrounding the square. The Capitol Grounds are surrounded on the north and west by Broad and High Streets, the main thoroughfares of the city since its founding, forming the city's 100 percent corner. The grounds are surrounded by 3rd Street on the east and State Street on the south. The oldest building on Capitol Square, the Ohio Statehouse, is the center of the state government, and in the rough geographic center of Capitol Square, Columbus, and Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campus Area Bus Service</span> Public transportation system at Ohio State University

Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) is a free public transportation system at the Ohio State University's Columbus campus. The system consists of five bus routes that connect various points of Ohio State's campus, and the immediate off-campus area. The system connects with the Central Ohio Transit Authority's bus routes at several points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio State East Hospital</span> Hospital in Columbus, Ohio

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center East Hospital is a university hospital in King-Lincoln Bronzeville, Columbus, Ohio. The hospital has a Level III trauma center, an emergency department, and provides numerous inpatient and outpatient services. It is part of the Wexner Medical Center, administered by the Ohio State University.

The Henderson House is a historic building in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The house was built in the late 19th or early 20th century, and was notably owned by Leonard Pearl Henderson, who made the property a hub for traveling Black entertainers.

References

  1. 1 2 Holland, Earle (November 8, 1987). "OSU's Smith Was a Pioneer - Early Studies of 'Alienism' Became Today's Psychiatry" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 9D. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  2. 1 2 3 Pinta, Emil R. (1998). "Samuel M. Smith, "Dr. Cure-Awl's" Assistant at the Ohio Lunatic Asylum". Ohio History Journal. 107: 59. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Arter, Bill (July 14, 1968). "Traveling Statue" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 265. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Dr. Samuel Mitchel Smith and Sons Memorial Fountain, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Pinta, E.R. (1994). A History of Psychiatry at The Ohio State University, 1847-1993. Ohio State University. pp. 3–12. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  6. ↑ Caruso, Doug (May 1, 1996). "Refurbished Statue at End of Road" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 02B. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  7. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Mitchell Smith and Sons Memorial Fountain". Columbus Makes Art. Greater Columbus Arts Council . Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Uhaus Sauer, Doreen (Spring 2019). "The Extraordinary Lives of the Smith-Comey Families". Heritage: The Newsletter of Green Lawn Cemetery. Green Lawn Cemetery. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  9. 1 2 LaLonde, Brent (December 7, 1994). "Arrest Closes Case of Mistaken Identity" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 01D. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  10. 1 2 "Front Lawn of City Health and Safety Center Will Be New Site for Dr. Samuel Smith Statue". The Historical Bulletin. Franklin County Historical Society. 9 (1): 2–3. January 1957. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  11. ↑ "His Fall Hat" . The Columbus Dispatch. October 4, 1915. p. 3. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  12. ↑ "Dr. Smith Statue Stands on New Site". The Historical Bulletin. Franklin County Historical Society. 9 (2). February 1957. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Futty, John (December 16, 1994). "Stolen Statue Home, A Little Worse For Wear" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 01D. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  14. ↑ "Man Arraigned in Statue Theft" . The Columbus Dispatch. December 8, 1994. p. 01D. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  15. ↑ Futty, John (November 28, 1994). "Metal Damage Tipped Man To Statue Theft" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 01A. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.
  16. ↑ Cadwallader, Bruce (August 29, 1995). "Art Dealer, Caught With Stolen Statue, To Pay for Crime" . The Columbus Dispatch. p. 05C. Retrieved August 25, 2020– via NewsBank.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.