Well with Lion and Flower Motif - Fredericksburg VA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

A circular concrete well stands in the middle of the walled garden lawn at Chatham Manor across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, VA. The side of the well is decorated with recurring reliefs of a floral pattern and lion heads linked by garland at the top. The rim of the well is octagonal-shaped and the concrete base is hexagonal. The sculptor is unknown. It is from c. 1930.

The base is broken and there are cracks and chips in the reliefs on the side. The well, surrounded by a slate walkway, is purely decorative and not functional.

Chatham Manor was originally built in the late 1700s. It went through several owners and changes over the next 150 years, including devastating damage during the Civil War, until the 1920s when Daniel and Helen Devore bought the property and began its restoration. They hired a landscape architect who extensively used statuary on the grounds, most notably in the gardens as accents and to draw visitors along the paths.¹

Today, the National Park Service owns the property. Although changes have been made to the original, ornate landscaping, some of the sculptures from the Devore years still remain, including the well. Chatham is open daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is free.

¹ Gardens lost in time « HORTUS 2

TITLE: (Well with Lion and Flower Motif) ARTIST(S): Unknown DATE: c. 1930 MEDIUM: Concrete CONTROL NUMBER: IAS VA000049 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Middle of walled garden lawn at Chatham: 120 Chatham Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22405 DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: The date says circa 1930, although it was probably several years earlier.

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