Jacksonville, FL

Confirmed, Gone and Updated!

We have been searching for the elusive Jacksonville, Florida fountain for years without much luck in confirming if there really was one in Jacksonville. A recent series of articles from the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville dating back to 1907 seems to indicate that they did and were preparing to unveil it in 1909. However, contributor Brittany Luna discovered the photo above from the Florida Times-Union showing the fountain still in place in 1934. The full story of the photo is included in the attached PDF.

The paper reported on May 15, 1907 that the National Humane Alliance had offered one to the city and Jacksonville and that a committee had been appointed to find an acceptable site.

A year later on July 21, it was reported that the city had agreed to the terms of the offer and had selected a site at the intersection of Bay and Madison Streets. On August 11, the paper was reporting that the fountain would soon be erected, but that the National Humane Alliance did not have one in stock, but would order more later in the fall. On August 25, the secretary of local chapter of the SPCA had sent a revised map to the National Humane Alliance with the fountain to be placed on West Bay Street, midway between Jefferson and Davis Streets.

Things seemed to stall until September 21, 1909 when it was reported that the fountain had been shipped from Rockland, Maine on September 11. The story is a bit confusing however as it noted that the Board of Public Works unanimously adopted a resolution to accept the fountain with the conditions from the National Humane Alliance. However, they would await the return of the Chairman of the Board to determine the location.

 On Monday, November 22, 1909 the paper announced that the "unveiling" of the fountain would have to be postponed because the fountain would not be in place for the ceremony on November 23. A new date was to be announced which would seemingly indicate that the fountain had been received, but not necessarily placed!

And we now know that this fountain was moved to St. Augustine. Click here to learn more about it's new - and current - home.

Click here for the news stories about this fountain.

For more on the National Humane Alliance Fountains click here.