About the Fox Chase Statue
The sixteen foot equestrian bronze statue, which is situated at the East entrance to Fox Chase Boulevard, was sculpted by Clemente Spampinato (1912-1993), and installed in 1973, is 125% of scale and cost over $80,000 originally…that’s about $250,000 in today’s dollars.
The sculpture belongs to the St. Charles Park District Foundation and sits on land owned by the Park District. The sculpture was originally placed in its current location away from the road to protect it from vandals and accidents.
Please see a few web links associated with the statue:
Early picture of installed statue with Highgate Course in the background: http://www.spampinatobronze.com/FOXCHASESTATUE.htm
Picture of artist along with a couple of small versions: http://www.spampinatobronze.com/FOXCHASE02.htm
Listing in the Art Inventories Catalog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS):
St. Charles Art in Public Places: www.ArtInPublicPlacesSTC.com
Why not move the statue?
Although over the years many residents have questioned the placement and requested that the Aintree Community Association move the sculpture to a more prominent location, the association has had to respect the original intent and current ownership stake by the St. Charles Park District. In the pursuit of initiating a conversation with the Park District, several bids had been entertained over the years; $7-8K in 1997, $13K more recently (not including lighting or a new concrete pour). These costs are prohibitive for an organization as limited in scope as the Fox Chase Boulevard Median Foundation or as limited in resources as the Aintree Community Association.
