About Turtle Boy
Here are some facts that I was able to find about Turtle Boy:
- Turtle Boy’s “real” name is the Burnside Fountain.
- The Burnside Fountain was originally a watering trough for dogs and horses (see pictures in gallery – you’ll note the basins up front for horses, small ‘dog bowl’ on the back).
- The fountain/statue was a gift to the city of Worcester given by Harriet Pamela Foster Burnside. It was meant as a tribute to her father, a prominent Worcester attorney.
- The original gift was $5,000, given around 1905 (Worcester Telegram & Gazette site says 1905 / Smithsonian says April 6, 1904). The statue was finally unveiled in 1912.
- The original location was across the street at Salem Square but it was moved in 1969 to make way for construction.
- Artist, Daniel Chester French, was commissioned to create the statue. He assigned the job to Charles Harvey, his protege.
- Work on the pedestal was started by Lincoln Memorial architect, Henry Bacon, but was completed by his assistant, Sherry Fry, after his death.
- The statue is made of bronze; the pedestal is pink granite.
Sources of my information
City of Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks web site
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
