Student Reading 2.2: Fountain Square
Fountain Square has served as the center of our Cincinnati community for over a century. As the city of Cincinnati has changed over time so has Fountain Square.
The Tyler Davidson Fountain was dedicated in 1871 when Fountain Square was only a wide median down the middle of Fifth Street.
The beautiful fountain shows the many uses of water. Water flows from the outstretched hands of the nine‐foot‐tall statue which is known as: Genius of Water. Below her, human figures show the various uses of water, including a steam engine, a watermill, and a steamboat. Another set of figures show water being used for fishing, bathing, fighting fire, and drinking. Four outer figures with
animals represent the pleasures of water, including children playing in the water, riding a dolphin, playing with ducks, turtles and snakes. The water flowing from the hands of the statue are working drinking fountains from which visitors can drink.
The fountain is turned on the Saturday before the Opening Day of Major League Baseball. It stays on until temperatures consistently dip below freezing, typically in late November or early December. Between Opening Day and late November, early December, the fountain usually runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In 1970, Fountain Square was redesigned for better traffic flow, and the fountain was moved to the south end of the plaza.
In 2006, Fountain Square was renovated again and the fountain was moved to its current location.
For additional information of Fountain Square visit: http://myfountainsquare.com/learn‐about‐3cdc/history/