Brookwood Fountain
Also known as the Venetian Fountain, this marble fountain was the first sculpture installed in Mission Hills by the J.C. Nichols Company. The fountain dates back to the 17th century and an Italian villa near Siena, Italy but had been at an English manor for about 80 years prior to being purchased by J.C. Nichols in the early 1920s. It was placed in the median of Brookwood Road at State Line Road and was dedicated on June 24, 1923.
The sculpture consists of three cherubs in various poses around a fluted column and holding different objects, including a serpent, crab, seashell, and fish. A drape of cloth flows over and between the cherubs. The cherubs stand on a pedestal decorated with leaves and molding. A saucer rests upon the top of the fluted column. The fountain sits in the middle of a shallow rectangular pool. The water bubbles up in the saucer and falls to the pool as the saucer fills and overflows.
Each side of the obelisk is marked with a metal star, except the west face which has the War Mothers’ emblem and the the years 1917 and 1918 inscribed. The south face has a blue star that is dedicated to those who served, the east face has a gold star symbolizing those who died in the war and the north face has a white star for those who were wounded. Each of the starred sides also has a military saber inscribed on the face underneath the star. On each side of the obelisk at the top is an eagle carved into the stone.
