This red sandstone and red granite monument has a rusticated and carved sandstone base surmounted by a cluster of granite columns supporting a bronze bust under a Gothic-arched hood. The base carving is delightful, depicting the Texas Spring Palace, gargoyles and abstract floral motifs. The original marble bust was replaced with a bronze casting by Evaline Sellors in 1934. Lloyd Brown, a self-taught local artist, was the sculptor of the monument. It appears to be eligible for the National Register both for its artistic and historical significance. An Official Texas Historical Marker, awarded in 1980, reads:
Following a suggestion by General R. A. Cameron, an officer of the Fort Worth & Denver City Railway, city promoters developed the idea of an annual exhibition for the display of Texas agricultural products. In 1889 they constructed the Texas Spring Palace near this site to house the exhibits. Designed by the Fort Worth firm of Armstrong and Messer, it was a two-story wooden structure featuring influences of Oriental and Moorish styles. Women’s groups added ornamentation using flowers, seeds, and grasses. On the evening of May 30, 1890, during the second season of the exhibition, a fire swept through the Spring Palace, completely destroying the structure. A number of people who crowded the building at the time had to leap from the second floor to escape flames. Alfred S. Hayne (b. 1849), a native of England, returned to the burning palace to help others who were still trapped inside. The only fatality of the fire, he died the next day of burns suffered in the rescue effort. In 1893 the Women’s Humane Association dedicated a monument near this site in memory of his heroism and courage. Efforts to rebuild the Texas Spring Palace failed because of economic problems in the panic of 1893.
Note: The Al Hayne Monument was restored in 1996-97 by the Laboratory for Conservation of Fine Arts, Teaneck, New Jersey. The upper photo was taken during the original survey; the lower photo was taken after the restoration work in 1997.