Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jon Seamans
It’s fairly difficult to miss seeing a lion, but it appears that several of these beasts were overlooked for quite some time before they were re-purposed and thrown into a Boston park to play with children. Did I mention they are made of granite?
A water spray feature built by Harvard University now contains large, granite lion heads—items discarded and long forgotten until they were discovered during soil excavation work in Boston’s Allston neighborhood by university employees. Officials retrieved the statues and stored them while research was being done on their origin. The former occupant of the site was a demolition contractor, and it is believed the lion heads were transported there long ago along with other building materials. The university’s research suggested the statues may have come from the cornice line of a large commercial building, of a size not commonly found in Allston.
Following discussions among university and city officials, residents, and the park’s designers, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, it was decided that this unique find could become a treasured element in Allston’s new park. Something unearthed by chance could now become the focal point of a water feature.