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Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is a monument created as a Temperance fountain by crusader Henry D. Cogswell. It was originally installed at Kearny and Market Streets in 1879. In 1904, the sculpture was relocated to Washington Square. A time capsule hidden in the statue’s base was removed and opened in 1979, 100 years after its creation, revealing Cogswell’s personal papers. A new time capsule, intended to be opened in 2079, was then installed.

Benjamin Franklin statue in colonial attire on an ornate stone pedestal, framed by trees.
Benjamin Franklin Memorial standing on a tiered stone pedestal in Washington Square, San Francisco.
May 2015 © · Public domain
Benjamin Franklin Memorial statue on a tall stone pedestal in a grassy park
The Benjamin Franklin Memorial rises on an ornate stone pedestal in Washington Square, San Francisco.
May 2015 © · Public domain
Benjamin Franklin memorial on a stone pedestal in a park, framed by trees and nearby buildings.
The Benjamin Franklin memorial stands on a tall pedestal in Washington Square, surrounded by trees and city buildings.
May 2015 © · Public domain
Benjamin Franklin Memorial on a tall stone pedestal in a grassy park with trees and city buildings behind it.
The Benjamin Franklin Memorial rises above Washington Square in San Francisco, framed by trees and nearby buildings.
May 2015 © · Public domain
Benjamin Franklin Memorial on a stone pedestal in a leafy park with tall trees and distant buildings.
The Benjamin Franklin Memorial stands in Washington Square, framed by tall trees and open park space.
May 2015 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleBenjamin Franklin
Typemonument

Historical context

Original formtemperance fountain

Creator

CreatorHenry D. Cogswell
Creator descriptionreformer and crusader

Discovery and provenance

Original locationKearny and Market Streets
Original installation date1879
Relocated toWashington Square
Relocation date1904

Other

Time capsuleA time capsule was in the statue's base; it was removed in 1979 and replaced with a new one in 1979 to be opened in 2079. The removed capsule contained Cogswell's personal papers and had been placed there 100 years after its creation.

Significance

Depicted on book coverAppears behind Richard Brautigan on the original 1967 cover of Trout Fishing in America (French: La pêche à la truite en Amérique)