A Beautiful Fountain In Abingdon, VA

The fountain in front of the Abingdon, Va town hall.

Man has always been fascinated and soothed by the sight and sound of flowing water. One of the simple pleasures in life is sitting on a river bank late on a hot summer evening, letting the troubles and tensions of the day drift away with the splashing current.

Fountains allow us to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of flowing water most anywhere at all - even indoors if we so choose! Ponds, pools, waterfalls and fountains were used thousands of years ago by the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Persians as a way of creating an "oasis" anywhere they desired to have one. Later, the Greeks and Romans built elaborate fountains all around their cities. These fountains served as both easily accessible water supplies and magnificent works of art.

The ancient Romans' amazing expertise in engineering was perhaps put to its best use in the construction of Rome's water supply. They constructed a massive array of aqueducts to carry water from high in the nearby Alban Hills into and around the city. The 3,100 foot drop created a tremendous amount of water pressure, allowing them to supply water to the entirety of Rome and fill the large number of splashing fountains using the power of gravity alone. Given the era in which it was built, Rome's municipal water supply is one of the greatest human creations of all time.

Today, fountains can be seen just about everywhere in the United States and around the world. You'll find them accenting flower gardens, serving as birdbaths, and adorning the property of private homes, government buildings, small businesses and major corporations alike. And while the technology behind them has changed dramatically over the centuries, the reasons for having them have not. We still love the way a beautiful, splashing fountain teases our senses and washes away the troubles of the day.

About the photo: The other night, Cheria and I were walking around downtown Abingdon, Virginia taking photos of the Barter Theatre, the Martha Washington Inn and a few other historic buildings when we noticed the fountain in front of the Abingdon Town Hall. It was lit up very nicely, so we walked over and snapped a few photos of it - one of which is the "Picture Of The Day".

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