Fountain of Eternal Life
Fountain of Eternal Life is a statue and fountain in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, also known as the Fountain of the Monument to the Fallen and Peace Arising from the Flames of War. Designed by Marshall Fredericks, a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, it was dedicated on May 30, 1964. The sculpture honors the residents of Greater Cleveland who served, died, or were reported missing in military service. It is located in Veterans' Memorial Plaza, formerly Mall A, as part of the Cleveland Mall.
September 2012 © Daderot · CC0
April 2024 © Cards84664 · CC BY-SA 4.0
June 2016 © Tim Evanson · CC BY-SA 2.0
© Scheueja · CC BY-SA 4.0
© Confiteordeo · CC BY-SA 2.0
Identification | |
| Title | Fountain of Eternal Life |
| Alternative names | Fuente del monumento a los Caídos; La paz surgiendo de las llamas de la guerra; War Memorial Fountain; Peace Arising from the Flames of War; Fuente Conmemorativa (Memorial Fountain) |
| Type | Statue and fountain; memorial fountain; commemorative monument |
| Original title | La Fuente de la vida eterna |
Historical context | |
| Initiated by | The Cleveland Press |
| Funding | $250,000 raised through donations from private citizens and various organizations |
| Dedication date | May 30, 1964 |
| Initial dedication | 1964 |
Creator | |
| Designer | Marshall Fredericks |
| Designer background | Graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Location | Downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Site | Veterans' Memorial Plaza (formerly Mall A), part of the Cleveland Mall |
Physical characteristics | |
| Surrounding elements | Four granite carvings placed around the sphere |
| Main figure | A bronze figure of a man escaping the flames of war and rising skyward in search of eternal peace |
| Base | Polished granite rim |
Materials | |
| Main figure material | Bronze |
| Bronze sphere | Bronze |
| Carvings material | Granite |
| Memorial plaques material | Bronze |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Names commemorated | 5,552 residents of Greater Cleveland who died in military service during wartime |
| Names at initial dedication | 4,155 |
| Initial commemorated group | Americans who died during World War II and the Korean War |
| Wars represented | Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Iraq War |
| Commemorated period | 1899 to 2014 |
| Central figure symbolism | Represents man escaping from the flames of war and reaching skyward for eternal peace |
| Memorial roll name | Veterans Memorial Honor Roll of Greater Cleveland |
| Commemorates | Greater Clevelanders who served, died, or were reported missing in military service |
| Sculptor description | Fredericks described the central figure as rising above the basin |
| Granite carvings meaning | Represent the geographic civilizations of the world |
| Bronze sphere meaning | Represents the Earth |
History and restoration | |
| Restoration | Underwent a complete restoration during construction of a parking garage below it in connection with the neighboring Key Tower |
| Rededication date | Veterans Day, 1991 |
| Rededication date | 2004 |
| Names added in 2004 | 1,361 |
| 2004 additions | Residents of Greater Cleveland who died in the Spanish-American War, World War I, the Vietnam War, and the first six casualties of the Iraq War, plus some individuals from World War II and the Korean War whose eligibility was confirmed by new information |
| Rededication date | July 25, 2014 |
| Names added in 2014 | 42 |
| 2014 additions | 33 were from the Iraq War; the remainder were from the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and World War II |