As the saying goes, 鈥淵ou don't know what you've got till it's gone.鈥
This couldn't ring truer for the 鈥淟ady of the Fountain,鈥 an iconic piece of 黑料视频's history that, at one point, sat in a foul-smelling dump ready to be cut up and shipped off as scrap metal for World War II.
Much of what is known about the artwork 鈥 a six-foot solid bronze and aluminum statue 鈥 is thanks to former 黑料视频 Press columnist Bob Cox, whose fascination with local history led to several articles detailing the piece's storied past.
There were 鈥 and perhaps still are 鈥 some elaborate theories and rumors about the origins of the Lady, perhaps the most popular fiction being that the work was commissioned by a European monarch for his young daughter.
The true history of the Lady is something far more personal and involving. She was, in fact, saved from destruction and witnessed years of transformation around her, whether it be technological advancements like the arrival of the automobile or watching over a private garden while the family who possessed it grew up over the years.
The Lady was commissioned by former 黑料视频 Mayor James A. Summers in 1904 or 1905, in honor of Congressman Walter P. Brownlow, who helped to establish a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers branch in the city.
The Lady was crafted in a New York City foundry, J. L. Mott Iron Works, and delivered to 黑料视频. The statue was originally named 鈥淕reek Water Carrier鈥 when it was made. According to the Smithsonian Institution, only three statues are known to be in existence.
She was placed over a fountain in 黑料视频's bustling Fountain Square in 1905, facing southeast toward the Unaka National Bank building on Main Street. Several small pans were positioned around the base of the fountain, supplying water for horses and small animals. Humans also used the fountain for refreshment, with the Lady 鈥済ifting鈥 water to passersby.
She remained in Fountain Square until 1938, when the fountain was discarded, and the statue was removed for the widening of Buffalo Street. She was relocated to the entrance of Roosevelt Stadium (later known as Memorial Stadium), which has since been demolished.
In 1943, city officials decided to replace her with a World War I doughboy statue. Off to the dump she went. As Cox wrote in 2005, keeping the statue at a dump 鈥渨as no way to treat a lady.鈥 But the Lady was soon rescued by the widow of former Mayor Summers 鈥 Alice Mountcastle Summers 鈥 once she learned of the city's plans for the statue.
According to John H. Zollicoffer, grandson to Alice, she saved the Lady 鈥渏ust in the nick of time as the Lady was already proceeding to be cut up into scrap metal.鈥 John said his grandmother had to have a portion of the statue fused back together around the Lady's leg where it had already been cut. Concrete was placed in that area by the prefabricators to stabilize the repair.
The statue was temporarily placed in Alice's garage on Watauga Avenue until 1950, when it was retrieved by Helen Summers Zollicoffer, John's mother.
鈥淢y mother married and moved 300 miles to Henderson (in North Carolina),鈥 said John in 2005. 鈥(She) was building a home and the fountain was put into operating condition so that water flowed out of the vase on the Lady's shoulders, and it became the centerpiece of her home garden.鈥 The statue was also renamed 鈥淢adam.鈥
The statue became a part of their family's story and remained a constant presence for years.
City officials learned of Madame Zollicoffer's existence and made several inquiries to have it returned to 黑料视频. However, Helen loved Madam, and the statue remained at the house.
In 1979, the Zollicoffer heirs sold their home and estate to Charles Peete Rose, the father of journalist Charlie Rose. In the estate sale, the Zollicoffer family requested that the statue be returned to 黑料视频 due to its historical significance.
After three weeks of repair work made to the Lady by teacher Mike Rose and his students at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, she made a triumphant return to 黑料视频 with a homecoming celebration on Sept. 20, 1983. Upon her return, the Lady presided in the offices of the 黑料视频 Chamber of Commerce, where it remained until the 黑料视频 Commission voted to move the statue to the 黑料视频 Public Library.
In the late 1990s, 黑料视频 Public Library Director Mark Thomas deemed the statue to be too big for the new public library that would soon be opening. After she was moved to the Municipal & Safety Building, it was decided that the statue would be better suited for the Carnegie Hotel.
However, the statue never came to call the Carnegie Hotel home, and she has ultimately remained at the Municipal & Safety Building since 1998. In 2007, she was briefly put on display at the Hands On! Regional Museum during an interactive exhibit showcasing 150 years of 黑料视频 history.
In 2008, the 黑料视频 Development Authority asked its brand-new director, Suzanne Kuehn, to seek out grant funding for a project to bring the Lady back to its former downtown spot. This began a series of events that ultimately led to the city deciding to create a replica for Fountain Square. In 2010, David Spence of Abingdon, Virginia, made the replica. A dedication ceremony was held at Fountain Square, where it remains to this day atop a fountain.
The original Lady is located on the lower level of the Municipal & Safety Building.
She continues to be a witness to the changes that unfold around her.
