Mabel Ringling Fountain will be Efficient and Historic

It was a bit of an eyesore; a raised, concrete slab and brick steps that led nowhere, smack dab in the middle of Luke Wood Park near downtown Sarasota.

But Larry Kelleher liked it. He always felt a sense of triumph when the other kids failed at knocking him off the odd structure during a game of King of the Hill.

As the years past, Kelleher’s interest in the slab only increased.  He learned the hard cement had once contained circulating water as part of a fountain dedicated to Mabel Ringling, the wife of the famous circus tycoon John Ringling.

Now in his 60s, Kelleher has dedicated the last few years of his life to bring the fountain back. Kelleher and other board members from the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation decided to take on the project three years ago and expect it to be completed in October.

“We aren’t calling it a restoration,” said Kelleher, who owns a popular historical website called www.sarasotaalive.com. “It’s actually a reconstruction project. It will be close to what it originally looked like, but not perfect.”

There were several obstacles that delayed the process. For one, the fountain had to be excavated from the decades worth of dirt and fill that surrounded it.

Another hindrance was the ornate statue that once decorated the fountain’s center no longer existed.

But Kelleher was undeterred; he remembered a similar statute in among the sculptures St. Armand’s Circle, many of which were collected by John Ringling.

With permission, Kelleher and other board members took the statue to Tallahassee where it was recast, duplicated then returned it to it’s rightful home on the key.

“(The statute) was very similar to the one that was originally in the center,” Kelleher said. “It was from the same set which represented the four seasons.”

Two lions that decorated the foot of Main Street in Sarasota for many years were also once part of the fountain; they have been moved back to their original home.

The historical image of the fountain has been the driving force in Kelleher’s vision ever since he came up with the notion of reconstructing it.

The pool was nearly three feet deep, with a wave design under the waterline. However, due to liability concerns, the City of Sarasota told Kelleher it would have to be filled in to six inches, which would mean losing the wave design.

As a compromise, the architect suggested placing the wave on the outside of the fountain.

Sarasota mosaic artist Pearse Kelly, has been working on the wave piece for the last month. Instead of tile, he is using pieces of bricks to make the design, which he plans to "wall paper" on the outside.

“It is physically demanding,” Kelly said. “That’s why we really appreciate the help we are receive from Sarasota Military Academy students, who have been volunteering to work with me.”

Besides the artwork, another finishing touch will be LED lighting that can change colors via remote during holiday seasons.

The original fountain was built in 1936 to honor of Mabel Ringling, who died in 1929. She was the founder and president of several garden circle clubs in Sarasota. On Arbor Day in 1936, sarasota residents celebrated the opening of Luke Wood Park, where they 12 oaks around the fountain representing all 12 garden clubs. Only nine of the trees remain today.  

Kelleher believes it was a recession following WWII that compromised the fountains existence. But the new “green” features such as the LED lighting and shallow depth should make the fountain more economical than it would have been in the 30s. Even better, the project has come in under budget. Kelleher estimates the total costs at around $78,000; it was first estimated at $120,000.

The grand reveal is set for October 1, and Kelleher is in great anticipation of the project he has wanted to see come to fruition since his childhood.

"I think it will be beautiful, and I think it will be a great enhancement to the community of Sarasota," he said.

The organization is still accepting donations for the park maintenance. Anyone wishing to contribute is asked to visit www.historicsarasota.org and use their PayPal button to make donate.