The blacksmith cometh
In an earlier column, the story of St. George’s Square was advanced to 1873.
Initially, the Square had been an empty rise, then a frame church, then a large stone church. In 1873, the second edition of St. George’s Church was removed from the Square and Dr. William Clarke very nearly realized his vision of building a shopping mall there. Somehow he was persuaded not to and, instead, sold the property to the town.
The contract contained a curious clause stipulating that the sale was “for the purpose of a public garden.” It seems odd that the town would get rid of a church in the middle of Wyndham Street only to plant a garden there. In any event, no immediate action was taken and St. George’s Square remained empty and open.
Yet, technological developments began to stimulate new ideas. In 1878, the Royal City began to plan a water works, that is, a broad system of water distribution conveyed by pipes from a central reservoir. By 1880, some 10 miles of pipes had been laid beneath the streets of the city.
Although the initial purpose of the system was to provide water for fire control, citizens soon began to contemplate other uses. It was suggested that a drinking trough for horses might be put in St. George’s Square or even a large, decorative fountain. This notion seemed to catch on.
In 1883, the city received a generous offer from David McCrae, father of the famous John McCrae, who was a prosperous farm owner and co-owner of the Armstrong, McCrae & Co. woollen mills. It was not unusual in those days for local patricians to show their civic pride by funding the construction of public buildings and monuments. Mr. McCrae offered a generous sum to go toward some civic improvement. The city council leaped at the chance, and talk immediately turned to construction of an “imposing” fountain on St. George’s Square.
Yet, the funds available did not match the city’s ambitions. The city collected subscriptions and then, in May 1884, Mayor Caleb Chase received a letter from Mr. J.B. Armstrong stating his wish to present the city with a fountain of his own design, representing “Industry.” John Belmer Armstrong (always referred to simply as “J.B.”) was a blacksmith and owner of J.B. Armstrong, a producer of carriages and accessories. Unsurprisingly, J.B.’s concept of Industry took the form of a blacksmith.
The fountain was taking shape but a little more money was needed to put the project over the top. At that point, Guelph’s Amateur Dramatic Society stepped onto the stage. The Society was a group of local drama enthusiasts who put on popular plays and sometimes donated the proceeds to local causes. They decided to put on extra performances of “Done on Both Sides” and “Meg’s Diversion” with the box office receipts going to the fountain fund. The shows sold out and $50 was raised for the cause.
Everything fell into place. Mr. Armstrong procured the blacksmith figure for the fountain and Mr. J.H. Hamilton’s “Monumental Works” on Woolwich Street constructed the granite foundation.
On Victoria Day 1885, the ribbon was officially cut on the Blacksmith Fountain in the middle of St. George’s Square. The installation was surrounded by a small grass plot, all of which became a small city park.
Improbably, the Square sported a “garden” in its centre, just as Dr. Clarke had imagined when he sold it to the city 12 years earlier. On the whole, Guelphites seemed to like the feature and described it as a “beauty spot,” that is, a pleasant sight in the midst of the city’s commercial heart.
Yet, though the blacksmith was fixed atop his fountain, his perch was not secure. Development of the city’s transit system would challenge his prerogative to his central position.