Cherub Birdbath - Fredericksburg VA
N 38° 18.536 W 077° 27.329
18S E 285307 N 4242945
A cherub holds a birdbath in the gardens of historic Chatham Manor.
Waymark Code: WME8JG
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 04/18/2012
Views: 2
A lead statue of a cherub holding a concrete birdbath stands in the gardens at
Chatham Manor across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, VA. A naked cherub with a cloth belted over his left shoulder and loosely wrapped around his waist holds his arms up to support a concrete basin on his head. He stands on his right leg with his left leg slightly bent. His wings are folded behind his back. A slate walkway surrounds the birdbath. The sculptor is unknown, although according to
Chatham a landscape introduction, the statuary came from Kenneth Lynch & Sons. It is dated c. 1930.
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 or exact replicas from the Devore years still remain, including the cherub birdbath. Chatham is open daily from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is free.
¹ Gardens lost in time « HORTUS 2