A Century and a Half on Stone: Jennewein's Tribute to Darlington, Sittin'

The Darlington Memorial Fountain, hidden like a secret, in Judiciary Park, is Jennewein's send-off to a man with many strings to his bow. Born on February 10, 1849, in Due West, South Carolina, ol' Joseph James Darlington went on to attend Erskine College, bagging his Bachelor of Arts degree at the tender age of 19. He spent his time educatin' in various South Carolina towns before movin' to Washington, D.C, where he sang in some drawing room doings, took music lessons, and set up shop as a lawyer in Capitol Hill.

A devout man, ol' Darlington spent decades lyin' low at the Fifth Baptist Church. In 1922, two years after his departure, a memorial was erected in his honor. C. Paul Jennewein was tasked with artists' duties, and the Washington Bar Association covered the installation costs. Jennewein's design featured a water fountain turned statue, showcasing 'humanity as a maiden, tender yet strong'. Revealed in 1923, there was a fuss about its nudity. Jennewein flipped the statue, claimin' it was directly from the Divine hand.

The memorial remains a significant work of art, a contributing property to the proposed Judiciary Square Historic District, and a testament to the life and career of Joseph James Darlington.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons