Statue of Benjamin Franklin (San Francisco)

Benjamin Franklin – also known as the Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Benjamin Franklin Statue and Cogswell Historical Monument[1] – is an outdoor sculpture in Washington Square, San Francisco, California.[2]

Benjamin Franklin
The statue in 2007
ArtistUnknown
TypeSculpture
MediumSculpture: Bronze
Base: Granite
SubjectBenjamin Franklin
LocationSan Francisco, California, United States
Coordinates37.80082°N 122.41000°W / 37.80082; -122.41000

Description

The smaller-than-life-size bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin, by an unknown sculptor, stands upon an ornate granite base, that contains a time capsule. There are inscriptions on all four sides of the base. Spigots once dispensed drinking water into three stone basins. The spigots have been removed.

History

Created as a Temperance fountain by crusader Henry D. Cogswell, the monument was originally installed at Kearny and Market Streets in 1879. In 1904, it was relocated to Washington Square.[3]

In 1979, 100 years after its creation, a time capsule hidden in the statue's base was removed and opened. A new time capsule, to be opened in 2079, was installed.[4]

The statue is visible behind Richard Brautigan on the original cover of his novel Trout Fishing in America.

See also

References
  1. "Benjamin Franklin, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Note: Control Number: IAS CA000016.
  2. "Benjamin Franklin, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Note: Control Number: IAS CA000029.
  3. Myrick, David F. (1972). San Francisco's Telegraph Hill. Howell-North Books. p. 139. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  4. Time capsules in San Francisco, from Using San Francisco History.
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