Swann Memorial Fountain in Logan Square turns 100 years old this year, write Isaac Avilucea and Mike D’Onofrio for Axios.
The massive fountain on the Ben Franklin Parkway was built in 1924. It was designed and built by architect Wilson Eyre Jr. and sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder.
Over its now century-long history, Swann Memorial has been a must-see for tourists and an unofficial — albeit also illegal — swimming hole on sweltering hot, summer days.
The center of the fountain consists of a trio of bronze Native American figures surrounded by water bronze frogs and turtles.
According to the Association for Public Art, the three bronze figures each represent the city’s three main waterways.
The statue of a young girl on her side against a swan represents Wissahickon Creek.
The woman holding the neck of a swan over her head is the Schuylkill River.
The man, who is a member of the Lenni Lenape tribe, with a fish on his head is the Delaware River.
The fountain gets its namesake from Wilson Cary Swann, the founder of the Philadelphia Fountain Society.
Read more about the story behind the Swann Memorial Fountain as it turns 100 in Axios.
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