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The 40-ton, 30-feet-high fountain is cast-iron painted to look like bronze. It was cast in Paris by A. Durenne. After being displayed at the 1876 Exhibition, the U.S. Government purchased the fountain for $6,000, placing it in the National Botanic Gardens, where the Capitol Reflecting Pool stands today.
The fountain, with its 11-feet-tall nymphs, represents light and water. The lamps on the fountain were originally lit with gas, but were retrofitted to electric in 1915. Bartholdi designed the fountain as a prototype. He was sure that many cities seeing the fountain at the Exposition would want their own. The only other city that actually purchased one of these fountains was Reims, France. The National Botanic Gardens were relocated to their present location in 1932, and the fountain was relocated along with the gardens, to its very own park across the street.
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