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All the United States New York State New York City Saratoga Springs Spit and Spat

Spit and Spat

Two mermen, eternally spitting into each other's mouths.

Saratoga Springs, New York

Added By
Molly McBride Jacobson
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Either Spit or Spat.   CJW_NY/CC BY 2.0
Spit and Spat at Congress Park.   Peter/CC BY 2.0
The fountain at Congress Park.   Boston Public Library/CC BY 2.0
Either Spit or Spat.   Peter/CC BY 2.0
  leahcaro / Atlas Obscura User
Spit or spat encased in a protective structure   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Spit? Or is it Spat? I can never tell them apart.   Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  cpage367 / Atlas Obscura User
  cpage367 / Atlas Obscura User
  cpage367 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The focal point of Saratoga Springs' Congress Park is the fountain featuring two mermen using marble conch shells as water guns.

The fountain was commissioned for the Canfield Casino in 1903, when Saratoga Springs was branded as the "American Monte Carlo," a city for gambling and relaxation. An Italian sculptor built the romantic fountain, which was brought to Saratoga two years later. 

The sculptures depict two Tritons, or mermen, shooting streams of water from puffed cheeks. This led townspeople to nickname them "Spit and Spat," a moniker which sticks to this very day. They were the focus of the Italian sculpture garden, which featured satyrs, bacchantes, and other figures of classical myth.

The casino folded when gambling was outlawed in 1911, but the sculpture garden was too beautiful to be torn down. The city purchased it, and after much refurbishment, opened it to the city as part of Congress Park. The sculptures are beloved enough that when the city closed the park in 2005 for restorations, not a day went by without someone wondering aloud about how Spit and Spat were doing.

Related Tags

Fountains Sculptures Art Sculpture Gardens Parks

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Added By

Molly McBride Jacobson

Edited By

leahcaro, blimpcaptain, Julius Spada, cpage367

  • leahcaro
  • blimpcaptain
  • Julius Spada
  • cpage367

Published

October 18, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.saratogaliving.com/general/mystique-and-myth
  • http://www.saratoga.com/throwback-thursday/2013/11/spit-and-spat-fountain-at-the-canfield-casino.html
  • http://www.saratogaspringsvisitorcenter.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/BROCHURE-Congress-Park.pdf
  • http://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/City-to-welcome-back-its-treasured-Spit-and-Spat-9207532.php
Spit and Spat
Congress Park
E Congress St
Saratoga Springs, New York
United States
43.078866, -73.782667
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Photo of Saratoga Springs

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