jones park fountain - East St. Louis Action Research Project

JONES PARK FOUNTAIN
EMMA L. WILSON KING FOUNDATION
PROPOSAL: ANTHONY MCCLELLAN
East St. Louis is a city with a story, one rich with culture, history, pride, and a
sense of place. No small parts of such a story are people like Emma L. Wilson King.
From all accounts she was a warm, welcoming lady who made her community a better
place.
This vision of the Jones Park Fountain would create a warm, welcoming
destination, which would undoubtedly improve the community. The main entrance to the
fountain is on the western side off of the existing street. Upon arrival guests will
immediately observe Mrs. King’s statue and the surrounding courtyard. The courtyard
consists of a plaza paved with stone, encircled by various flowering shrubs and trees.
Guests will then follow the stone paving to the fountain. Eight-foot wide paths lead
guests around the fountain where they will notice granite bollards. These granite bollards
are similar to ones seen in a parking lot to regulate vehicular traffic, but they are being
used here as decorative elements. In total, there are twelve on the site with each one
representing a child of Mrs. King. The bollards are located in planting beds along the
edges of the fountain. The planting beds will consist of ground coverings growing no
taller than 6-12”.
Continuing along the path visitors will walk underneath a trellis. Mrs. King was
an avid gardener with a love of roses, in honor of her rose bushes are planted at the base
of the trellis to add color in the spring and summer. One would also notice that the
pavement underneath the trellis has switched from stone to brick. These are the Emma L.
Wilson King Foundation donation bricks. Just beyond the trellis visitors will enter the
memorial courtyard where they will see the granite memorial wall. This wall is engraved
with images and stories from the lives of the King family. On each side of the memorial
wall is another wall of donation bricks. This will conclude of the Emma L. Wilson King
memorial experience.
In addition to the memorial, this design includes a 0.58 acre lawn area to be used
for graduations, weddings, and various gatherings. This area is bordered by stone paths
and flowering trees and can accommodate several hundred people. The parking lot, to the
northwest, has been designed with 36 spaces. It also forms the proposed northern
boundary of this site.
Years ago, the King home was a place where all the neighborhood children
congregated. The rooms were filled with the joy and love that Mrs. King shared with
them. Now years later, those same children have grown up and once again have a place to
gather. The circumstances may be different, but that same joy and love lives on. East St.
Louis is a city with a story, one rich with culture, history, pride, and a sense of place. No
small parts of such a story are people like Emma L. Wilson King.
Anthony McClellan