Portland’s elk fountain still scheduled to return to Main Street in 2024
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland’s iconic Thompson Elk Fountain remains on schedule to return to its downtown pedestal in one year, the Portland Parks Foundation told the Portland City Council at Wednesday’s meeting.
The damaged statue and surviving stone fountain were removed from the Main Street median in July 2020 after protesters caused extensive damage to the historic landmark. In 2022, the city council provided $1.5 million for the restoration of the fountain. With an additional $700,000 insurance claim and thousands of dollars in public donations put toward the project, Portland Parks Foundation interim Director Jessica Green said that construction can be completed by the end of 2024.
“We are on schedule and on budget for getting the elk restored,” Green said.
Protesters set a fire that severely damaged the Elk Statue on Main Street in downtown Portland. Officials removed the statue for public safety reasons, July 2, 2020 (PPB) A fire was lit at the site where the bronzed Elk statue used to stand between Lownsdale and Chapman squares. July 27, 2020 (KOIN) The Elk Statue in downtown Portland was removed after protesters set fire to the base, severely damaging it, July 2, 2020 (Edward Bailey) Someone lights a fire at the fountain where the Elk statue used to stand near the Justice Center. July 18, 2020 (KOIN) Thompson Elk Fountain condition on July 6, 2020 (Courtesy: RACC) Thompson Elk Fountain condition on July 6, 2020 (Courtesy: RACC) Crews took apart the fountain and base where the Elk statue once stood on SW Main Street between Lownsdale Square and Chapman Square. July 17, 2020 (KOIN) Crews took apart the fountain and base where the Elk statue once stood on SW Main Street between Lownsdale Square and Chapman Square. July 17, 2020 (KOIN) Crews took apart the fountain and base where the Elk statue once stood on SW Main Street between Lownsdale Square and Chapman Square. July 17, 2020 (KOIN) Damage to what used to be the base of Portland’s Elk Fountain statue. (PPB) Eric Post raises an American flag where the bronze elk statue used to stand on July 4, 2020 (Eric Post) Crews clean up around the Elk Statue outside the Justice Center. July 6, 2020 (KOIN) elk statue_190214
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The elk statue was restored by the Regional Arts & Culture Council and the burned and chipped stonework was salvaged, cleaned and cataloged by the Portland Water Bureau. All salvageable pieces of the fountain were rested, but nine of the 52 pieces of the fountain recovered from the median were beyond repair, Green told city commissioners. However, the city plans to refabricate the missing pieces with matching granite taken from the same Vermont stone quarry used for the original statue.
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The restored fountain will also include a graffiti-resistant coating, an earthquake-resistant base and — at Commissioner Mingus Mapps’ request — the addition of a recirculating water pump, which is expected to save the city $37,000 and 7 million gallons of water per year.
Built in 1900 as a drinking fountain for Portland’s working domesticated animals, the fountain was previously fed with fresh water piped in from the Bull Run Watershed. While the city will preserve the fountain’s original drinking troughs, the fountain is now surrounded by modern roads and no longer serves a practical purpose.
The city council unanimously voted on Dec. 13 to allow the city to begin a competitive bidding process to hire a construction company to complete the project. Green said that the city will be able to finalize a contract by the summer of 2024.
With the elk scheduled to return next December, Commissioner Dan Ryan said that he hopes to see the statue back in place and dressed with its traditional holiday wreath by next Christmas.
“Let’s hope we can see that wreath around the neck of the elk once again,” Ryan said … “This is a great day.”
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