History Belongs To Us

Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain has been a landmark in the City of Chicago since its completion in 1927. Known as “Chicago’s front door”, the fountain was commissioned by Kate Sturges Buckingham, as a memorial for her brother, Clarence. Hence the fountain’s official name, the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain.

The Buckingham Business: Grain Elevators

The Buckingham Family

The Buckingham family is well known for its charitable contributions and patronage of the Arts. Originally from Ohio, the family moved to Chicago when Kate and Clarence were children. Their father, Ebenezer, was a businessman who constructed and operated grain elevators. In 1871, a great portion of the city, as well as the Buckingham home, was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire. In 1875, the family moved into its new home on Prairie Avenue, which can only be described as a mansion.

The Buckingham Mansion

Clarence Buckingham

Clarence Buckingham, like his father, was a successful businessman. He began his career working in the family business, but his resume expanded greatly over time. He was a broker and director for both the Corn Exchange National Bank and the Illinois Trust and Savings Company; he served as president of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company; he held investments in insurance, steel and real estate; and he was the director of the Art Institute of Chicago for more than a decade. His memorial is a testament to the family’s love for the city.

The Buckingham Memorial

The construction of Clarence’s memorial.

The Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain

Plans for the memorial were announced in January of 1924 when Kate Buckingham made a $250,000 gift to the city for its construction. Note, she also contributed an additional $135,000 for maintenance. The fountain’s design, which was overseen by Edward H. Bennett of the firm of Bennett, Parsons & Frost, was inspired by the Bassin de Latone at the Versailles Palace near Paris, France. Symbolically, the fountain represents Lake Michigan, and the states that share the lake; Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan are represented by the four sets of sea horses created by the French artist Marcel Loyau.

The Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain officially opened on May 26, 1927 and was officially dedicated on August 26, 1927, an event that was attended by approximately 50,000 people, who viewed the fountain for the first time while listening to the orchestra of John Philip Sousa. In the end, costs for the construction of the fountain would total $750,000, something that would cost $13,537,457 today.

The Dedication 1927

The Landmark

The fountain’s location speaks to its importance to the city as both a landmark and major tourist attraction. Standing at the center of Chicago’s Grant Park, a five-hundred acre plot of land, the fountain is located just off the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Ida B. Wells Drive. A glance westward provides a glimpse of the city’s skyline, look to the north and south, and you will see the beauty of Chicago’s parks, but when you look to the east… Lake Michigan stands before you in all of its majesty.

The basins, made from carved granite and pink Georgia marble house the seahorses made of bronze. The fountain’s jets, 193 in all, catapult the water up to 150 feet into the air, all while providing a cooling mist on a hot summer day. Visit Buckingham Fountain at night, and you will be greeted by lights and music. The lights being a special request of Kate Buckingham herself.

Buckingham Fountain Night View

Buckingham Fountain, the Skyline, and the beautiful Lake Michigan