| James Scott Memorial Fountain | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Cass Gilbert &Herbert Adams |
| Year | 1925 |
| Type | Marble |
| Location | Belle Isle Park Detroit,Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°20′06″N82°59′58″W / 42.33506°N 82.99931°W /42.33506; -82.99931 |
TheJames Scott Memorial Fountain is a monument located inBelle Isle Park, inDetroit,Michigan. Designed by architectCass Gilbert and sculptorHerbert Adams, the fountain was completed in 1925 at a cost of $500,000.[1] The lower bowl has a diameter of 510 ft (160 m) and the central spray reaches 125 ft (38 m). The fountain honors the controversial James Scott, who left $200,000 to the City of Detroit for a fountain in tribute to himself.
Scott was left a sizable fortune by his father who invested in Detroitreal estate.[2] According to contemporaries, Scottgambled and toldoff-color stories. He was described by twentieth-century author W. Hawkins Ferry as a "vindictive, scurrilous misanthrope"[3] who attempted to intimidate his business competitors and when this was unsuccessful, he filed suit. Perhaps for these reasons, Scott died in 1910 with no heirs or colleagues and hebequeathed his estate to the City of Detroit with the condition that the fountain include a life-sizedbronze statue of him.[1][2] Some accounts state that thewill required that the statue be at the fountain's pinnacle.[4]
Several community and religious leaders—including BishopCharles D. Williams[1]—spoke against accepting the bequest, saying that a person with Scott's reputation should not be immortalized in the city.[2] MayorPhilip Breitmeyer and City Council President David Heineman urged accepting the gift, saying that the city shouldn't insult any of its citizens by refusing such a generous offer.[5]
While the debate raged, Scott's fortune continued to grow, topping $1 million by the time construction commenced.[5]
Since 2018, theDetroit Grand Prix INDYCAR race has used the Fountain as its podium backdrop. Drivers are known to dip into the fountain after a race win.
The monument is located inBelle Isle Park, inDetroit,Michigan. Designed by architectCass Gilbert and sculptorHerbert Adams, themarble fountain was completed in 1925 at a cost of $500,000.[1] The lower bowl has a diameter of 510 ft (160 m) and the central spray reaches 125 ft (38 m). The final design placed Scott's statue in an inconspicuous spot behind the fountain.[1]
A famous scene from the 1973 dramaScarecrow, starringGene Hackman andAl Pacino was filmed here. In the scene, shortly after learning of the death of his estranged son (though falsified by the mother), Pacino's character Francis Lionel 'Lion' Delbuchi happily plays with a group of children. Then, upon uncovering a deep emotional truth, he snatches one of them up and begins to ascend the fountain. He is left catatonic in a hospital following the incident.
The fountain is also briefly featured inAnthony Mann's 1947 film noirT-Men, photographed by John Alton. Early in the film, two Treasury Agents preparing to go undercover discuss Detroit criminal gangs and gang activities while standing in front of the fountain.
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