Old State House Fountain - Little Rock, AR
Posted by: 
linkys
N 34° 44.910 W 092° 16.361
15S E 566572 N 3845394
The exact replica of the Old State House fountain stands in the exact spot the original fountain stood.
Waymark Code: WMEWF0
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 07/14/2012
Views: 1
The original fountain was created for the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition where it sat in front of the Arkansas Building. In 1877 after the Exhibition, it was moved to Little Rock and installed in front of the State House. Made of bronze, the original was cast by an Alabama foundry that made Confederate cannons during the Civil War.
Over the years the fountain fell into disrepair, and in 1954 it was restored, though not to its original design, as the restored fountain had two tiers instead of the original three. It was designated the Herman Davis Memorial Fountain in honor of Arkansas World War I hero, Herman Davis.
The current fountain dates from 1999 when a grant from the Stella Boyle Smith Trust allowed the fountain to be recast as an exact replica of the original by using replicas of the original molds.
Sources: Plaques and signs placed around the fountain. Additional sources:
Encyclopedia of Arkansas and
Arkansas Road Stories.