Compton Hill Reservoir Park - St. Louis, MO - Municipal Parks and Plazas on Waymarking.com

County of park: St. Louis Independent City
Location of parl: S. Grand Blvd, just S. of I-44, & bounded by Russell Blvd & Compton Place
Built as a park: 1967
Operated by St. Louis Parks Department
Size: 35¾ acres

"The statue called "The Naked Truth," designated a city landmark in 1969, was controversial before it was even built. It is a memorial to Dr. Emil Preetorius, Carl Schurz and Carl Daenzer, German-American editors of the St. Louis Westliche Post. Adolphus Busch was the major donor, giving $20,000 of the $31,000 cost.

"A jury selected a design by sculptor Wilhelm Wandschneider of Berlin. Busch was appalled by the jury’s selection and the controversy over the nudity in the statue prompted great debates. The sculptor refused Busch’s request that the figure be draped.

"The jury voted 14 to 12 to accept the original design but said the nude figure should be made of a material other than white marble, to de-emphasize the nudity. The figure is made of bronze.

"The statue is a nude figure of a woman seated on a stone bench with arms outstretched, holding torches. The figure symbolizes "Truth" and the torches are for the "enlightenment of Germany and the United States." The figure of Truth is of bronze in heroic size. The eyes are painted as in some bronze figures of the Greeks and as in many modern German statues. The inscription on the back of the shaft in incised lettering expressing the devotion of German-American citizens to the country of their adoption. This inscription is repeated in German.

"The memorial was a gift to St Louis by the German-American Alliance and was unveiled on May 27, 1914." ~ The Water Tower and Park Preservation Society

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"In the City of St. Louis, a glorious monument to an era when function followed beauty rises above some of the city's most charming and historic neighborhoods. Compton Hill Water Tower, located in Compton Hill Reservoir Park along Grand Avenue, is preserved as a mid-19th century engineering masterpiece. Built in the late-19th century on the highest point in the city it was designed as part of the city's public water supply system.

"One of only seven surviving such towers in the United States (two others are also in St. Louis), it was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1972. It sits in Reservoir Park, flanked by a large, classic statue that celebrates the city's newspaper heritage, a lily pond and walking paths. The park is always open to the public, while the Tower itself is frequently open for touring. It is owned by the St. Louis Water Division and maintained through the joint efforts of the Division and the Water Tower & Park Preservation Society." ~ The Water Tower and Park Preservation Society

Name: Compton Hill Reservoir Park Street Location: S. Grand Blvd. Local Municipality: St. Louis State/Province, etc.: Missouri Country: United States Web Site: [Web Link] Date Established: 1967 Picnic Facilities: one pavillion Recreational Facilities: Playground equipment on east side of reservoir as well as tennis courts, walking path (concrete) circumnavigates the entire park Monuments/Statues: The Naked Truth Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Art reliefs on the water tower as well as fountains on the reservoir wall Fountains: 3 Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: 1 Traditional Geocaches: Compton Reservoir - A High Point of St Louis by WalkThisWayWalkThisWay | GC3714Y | Missouri Memorial/Commemoration: Not listed Special Events: Not listed

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