Darlington Memorial Fountain | |
 Darlington Memorial Fountain's nymph and fawn | |
| Location | 5th & D Streets NW, Judiciary Park, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°53′43″N 77°1′7″W / 38.89528°N 77.01861°W |
| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | C. Paul Jennewein (sculptor) Kunst Foundry (founder) |
| Part of | Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated DCIHS | June 19, 1973 |
The Darlington Memorial Fountain, also known as the Joseph Darlington Fountain, Nymph and Fawn, and Darlington Fountain, is a sculpture by C. Paul Jennewein atop a fountain in honor of Joseph James Darlington. It is located at Judiciary Park, where 5th Street, D Street, and Indiana Avenue NW intersect in the Judiciary Square neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The fountain is surrounded on three sides by government buildings, including the United States Court of Military Appeals, the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse, and the former District of Columbia City Hall.
Darlington (1849–1920) was a native of South Carolina who worked as a teacher for several years before moving to Washington, D.C. He took classes at the Columbian Law School (now the George Washington University Law School), and founded a law practice with a friend after they graduated. Darlington earned a reputation as a religious and friendly person. He stopped teaching law classes and focused on writing a successful book, which was used for decades by other law students. When he died in 1920, Darlington received an outpouring of support from politicians, lawyers, and his religious friends.
A memorial was planned one year after Darlington's death. There were several submissions for a memorial and Jennewein, a successful German-American sculptor, was selected for the project. The fountain and its sculpture were paid for by members of the Washington Bar Association. After the United States Commission of Fine Arts approved his design, Jennewein began working on the project. The sculpture was ready by 1922, but the remaining pedestal and basin were not yet completed. When it was finished in late 1923, the unveiling of the fountain revealed a naked woman, something that was the source of many complaints about the artwork.
During later years, the fountain was often broken and the basin was used as a trash can. The National Park Service, which owned and maintained the fountain, transferred ownership to the Government of the District of Columbia. The fountain is one of many contributing properties to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It is also a contributing property to the proposed Judiciary Square Historic District.