The Bailey Fountain, a popular gathering spot and backdrop for wedding photos, was built in 1932 by architect Edgerton Swarthout and sculptor Eugene Savage. Named after Brooklyn-based financier and philanthropist Frank Bailey (1865-1953), this elaborate sculptural waterwork is one of several which have occupied a central place in Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza. The central bronze sculptures include male and female figures atop the prow of a ship, representing
Wisdom and Felicity, surrounded by
Neptune, his attendant Triton, and a
boy holding a cornucopia. The base is made of large stones imbedded in the foundation, and additional decorative elements with sea motifs adorn the pedestal.
Between 1865 and 1866, British-born architect Calvert Vaux designed the oval Grand Army Plaza as a transitional element between the confluence of major streets and
Prospect Park. He positioned a fountain at its center, which functioned by the early 1870s. The thrilling spectacle of numerous water jets illuminated at night by gas lamps attracted many viewers. In 1897, five years after the erection in 1892 of the
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in the plaza, the original fountain--eroded and often inoperative--was removed, and a new “electric” fountain designed by F.W. Darlington was installed. However, the replacement fountain was dismantled in 1915 to allow for the construction of the subway lines beneath the plaza.
In the late 1920s, Frank and his wife, Marie Louise Bailey gave $125,000 for construction of a new fountain, whose designers were selected through a design competition. Work on the fountain began in 1929 and was completed in 1932. In 1974, several sculptural elements were stolen, and others were subsequently salvaged in storage for safekeeping. The fountain basin also exhibits evidence of extensive subsidence. A restoration in 2002 of the fountain, its mechanical works, and the sculpture was funded through a $2,000,000 capital project with allocated dollars by Council Member Kenneth Fisher.
Born in Chatham, New York, Frank Bailey graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and served as the college treasurer for 51 years. He began his professional career as a clerk at Title Guarantee and Trust Company, within five years became vice president of its Brooklyn office, and later served as company president until 1924. An avid horticulturalist, Bailey was also chairman of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a founder and trustee of the Museum of the City of New York, and a trustee of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. In 1945, he published his autobiography, titled It Can’t Happen Here Again. He died on August 26, 1953 at his country estate in Locust Valley, New York.
