PORT TOWNSEND — Haller Fountain holds special memories for Bob Carter, who remembers looking down on Galatea from his father’s office atop the stairs over the downtown landmark.
“I’ve been looking at it since I was a little tyke,” said the Port Townsend insurance businessman.
Both Kiwanis club members when his father was alive, Carter and his father, Kennith, worked to renovate the statue in the early 1990s.
They were named citizens of the year for their successful efforts to raise $50,000 for the fountain renovation.
“Port Townsend is a real divided community, but the project was one that everybody could get behind,” Bob Carter said.
River Dog Foundry of Chimacum recast the statue, and several volunteers helped restore it to its glorious past.
Not first restoration
It wasn’t the first time that Bob Carter’s father had helped renovate the statue.
The original statue was made of pot metal, which was very fragile.
Over the years, vandals had broken off parts of it.
In 1958 the statue was removed for about 18 months while she was repaired.
Dr. Kennith Carter of Port Townsend decided that while she was undergoing those repairs, the figure was rather lacking in shape, and with judicious use of dental plastic, increased her cup size slightly.
Hopes for Galatea
Carter spoke of the statue during a special celebration Saturday to mark the fountain’s 100th birthday in Port Townsend.
Standing in the middle of the fountain, Galatea was adorned in ribbons, a sash reading “Happy Birthday” and a crown of flowers.
The actual birthday was Tuesday.
Singers sang “Happy Birthday” to Galatea while party guests enjoyed cake and listened to musicians Kristen and Otto Smith.
Galatea had many years of relative calm before 1990, when some well-intentioned kids climbed on her, breaking her arm, and several parts off the cherubs.
She was removed by Kiwanis for repairs, but the damage was so bad, with several parts missing, that it was decided that a replica must be made of bronze, a stronger metal better able to withstand inquisitive youths.
Referring to a recently launched fundraising effort to improve the park grounds around the statue, Carter said he hopes the city will help finish what Kiwanis started.
“The grounds would have been done in 1990-91,” said Carter.
“We had plans then to use $16,000 left over from fund-raising.”
City officials then told Carter that the improvements should wait until a drainage fixture in front of the statue was repaired.
“It didn’t happen,” Carter said.
“The fountain and statue should last another 100 years.
“I would hope the city will take upon itself to finish what was started 15 years ago, and that it will also last 100 years.”
