Richmond, VA
Richmond, VA is one of the lucky communities that received a fountain back in 1908 and still has it today - and it works. Things have changed since it was installed back in 1908 at Broad Street and Brooke Avenue. In 1951, city officials decided that the fountain was a traffic hazard and planned to move it only to discover that a city ordinance passed at the time the city agreed to accept the fountain wouldn't allow the removal since it also violated their agreement in accepting the fountain! They went back to the drawing board and adopted a new ordinance. By late February 1952, the fountain that previously sat at Broad and Adams streets was back in use - as a watering stop for Richmond police horses - at its new location: the triangle of Price and Leigh streets and Chamberlayne Avenue. The lions heads are gone, but the city still has the water flowing as you can see from this short video captured by contributor Brittany Luna. Most people traveling by the park probably don't even notice the historic fountain which is in the shadow of a statue of the more famous step dancer Bojangles (Bill Robinson) who was born and first discovered in Richmond.
For more on the National Humane Alliance Fountains click here.
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