Dillon Memorial

Dillon Memorial
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Davenport Register of Historic Properties
Location:	South Main Street, Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates:	41°31′12″N 90°34′32″W / 41.52°N 90.57556°W / 41.52; -90.57556Coordinates: 41°31′12″N 90°34′32″W / 41.52°N 90.57556°W / 41.52; -90.57556
Built:	1918
Architect:	Franklin & Arthur Ware, Paul Schultz
Architectural style:	Classical Revival
Governing body:	Local
MPS:	Davenport MRA
NRHP Reference#:	83002421[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	July 7, 1983
Designated DRHP:	June 2, 1993[2]

The Dillon Memorial is located in LeClaire Park, near downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties in 1993. It is commonly referred to as the Dillon Fountain.^[3]

History

The structure memorializes John Forrest Dillon who was a Davenport attorney, an Iowa Supreme Court Justice and a judge on the United States Circuit Court. A bequest after his death on May 6, 1914, provided for the memorial in his honor.^[4] The memorial anchors the south end of Main Street and faces the Civil War Monument on top of the bluff in the center of the College Square Historic District.

Like the Civil War Monument, Main Street surrounded the Dillon Memorial. When the memorial was constructed in 1918 there were no other structures on the south side of River Drive. In 1922 the Municipal Natatorium was built on the west side of the street from the memorial, and a year later the Lend-A-Hand Club was built to the east. The Lend-a-Hand building was also listed on the NRHP. In the late 20th century the memorial returned to its original state when the other two structures were torn down. Main Street was then closed south of River Drive and the area was incorporated into LeClaire Park in 1997. At that time the brick plaza was built around the fountain. .^[3]

Architecture

The Davenport Levee Improvement Commission sponsored a design competition for the memorial. New York artists Franklin and Arthur Ware won the competition and designed the memorial in association with Paul Schultz.^[4] The Dillon Memorial is a Classical Revival structure built in concrete. The monument is an upright, fluted column surrounded by a circular basin, which functions as a fountain. A lantern sits on top of a platform capital. Bas-relief panels of lion heads and garland swags decorate the base of the column.^[4] There is also a bas-relief likeness of Judge Dillon on the column.

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-10-06. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ Historic Preservation Commission. "Davenport Register of Historic Properties". City of Davenport. http://www.cityofdavenportiowa.com/egov/docs/1157124087_589019.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-07. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Brecht, Tory. "Davenport fixing Dillon Fountain". Quad-City Times (April 11, 2008). http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_52e20863-755c-51c9-8f6e-090ebe7b7cf4.html. Retrieved 2010-10-06. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Dillon Memorial". Davenport Public Library. http://www.qcmemory.org/Default.aspx?PageId=404&nt=207. Retrieved 2010-10-06. 

External links

• Archiplanet Listing