I heard about the Little Water Girl sculpture last year in Polly
Kaufman's class: History of US Environmentalism. Polly raved about the Little
Water Girl, declaring it her favorite sculpture in Portland. I remember her
jokingly telling us that the sculpture, whom she referred to as
"she," was being moved inside of the new library to resolve prior
"urination issues." After Polly's exciting introduction, I decided to
incorporate the Little Water Girl into my site visits.
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| [proof]: The Little Water Girl Sculpture in the entrance of the Portland Public Library |
I had been to the Portland Public Library several times since the new
renovations, and had failed to acknowledge the spouting sculpture that greets
you on the way in. But on this January afternoon, as I welcomed the warm
reprieve of the library, I instantly noticed the Little Water Girl. It was
about noon time when I entered the library and the library's cafe area was
crowded with people eating their lunches, reading the paper, or listening to
music and attempting to sleep. The Little Water Girl was not the focal point. I
stood in front of her and listened to the water fall. If I was only ten years
younger I would've stuck my hands under the water or flipped a coin in her
basin. But taking into account my age (and expected maturity), I crouched down
to read the plaque that adorns her base, and received a few awkward looks from
library goers-- which only intensified when I posed for a picture with her
(hence the poor lighting in this photo. I was not about to pose for a second
time).
While the library
patrons seemed rather unenthused about the Little Water Girl Sculpture, the
library staff beamed with pride. The reference desk ladies, who had a lull in
their day, spoke reverently about the sculpture sharing their joy that the
Water Girl was on public display in a safe space. They suggested visiting the
Portland Room to learn more about Lillian M. N. Stevens.
Ode to the Portland
Room-- which should be its own site visit. I was greeted by the Portland Room's
research librarian who had me sign in and then inquired about my academic
interests. I briefly discussed my site visit project and interest in Lillian
Stevens, which ultimately led to a tangent on Mexican convents... and poor
Lillian Stevens was neglected to the simple title of “a proud Mainer!”
Needless to say, further
research was done at home. The Little Water Girl statue that resides in
Portland's newly renovated library was originally donated to the city by the
Women's Christian Temperance Union in 1917. She was on display in Deering Oaks
Park until 1979 where she moved to the Portland Public Library. The Little
Water Girl spent the next thirty years in a insecure, fenced off courtyard as
an object of vandalism (so I suppose Polly's urination hypothesis is not a
terrible stretch). She is one of four Little Water Girl statues donated by the
WCTU; the others are on display in London, Detroit, and Chicago. However
Chicago's Little Water Girl was stolen. When the public library was undergoing
renovations, they loaned the Little Water Girl to the city of Chicago so they
could create a mold and recast her as a statue for themselves. The Little Water
Girl made her return to the library after renovations had been completed and
now boasts the functioning fountain in the entrance way.
The Little Water Girl
statue celebrates Maine's own Lillian Ames Stevens. She was an avid human
rights worker who dedicated majority of her efforts to prohibition. Stevens was
born on March 1st, 1844 and passed away on April 6th, 1914. She married Michael
T. Stevens who supported her lifelong activism and even hired a governess to
care for their daughter so Stevens could work. She was the president of the
Maine Women's Christian Temperance Union from 1878 until her passing in 1914.
Most notable, Stevens was the 2nd president of the forerunning national
prohibition organization: the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Under her
reign, six states in addition to all military bases accepted prohibition.
Stevens was also a suffragist, child labor activist, and was responsible for
some of Maine's first women's shelters. She was a model Mainer, to say the
least and the Little Water Girl statue celebrates her activist spirit in the
forefront of a beloved public space.
Sources:
http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/water-girl-assumes-her-place-of-honor_2010-04-11
http://www.portlanddailysun.me/index.php/opinion/columns/8890-the-little-water-girl
http://dll.umaine.edu/historytrail/site12.html
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