{"nrhp_refnum":"79001854","name":"Davidson, Tyler, Fountain","other_names":[],"category":"object","location":{"address":"5th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cincinnati","county":"Hamilton County","state":"OH","lat":39.10138903400008,"lon":-84.51208341299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-10-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 43-foot bronze public fountain on a porphyry base, set in Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. It was unveiled in 1871, cast by Ferdinand Von Miller from designs by August von Kreling, and moved a short distance in 1969.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the fountain is an outstanding work of public art, notable for its design, casting quality, and original theme of the uses and benefits of water. It was described as the first public fountain of its kind in the United States and the first to dispense ice-cooled drinking water. It has also long served as the civic focal point of Cincinnati, and was the gift of Henry Probasco in memory of Tyler Davidson.","narrative":"Rising forty-three feet above Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati, this bronze fountain was unveiled on October 6, 1871, before a crowd of more than twenty thousand. Businessman Henry Probasco gave it to the city in memory of his partner and brother-in-law, Tyler Davidson. Ferdinand Von Miller cast it in Munich from designs by August von Kreling, using a bronze cannon purchased from the Danish government. A nine-foot Genius of Water crowns the piece, with figures and reliefs showing the domestic, commercial and recreational uses of water. The nomination calls it the first public fountain of its kind in the United States and the first to dispense ice-cooled drinking water. It was moved slightly and rotated in 1969 to suit the new plaza, then restored and rededicated in 1971. It remains a gathering place for ceremonies, holiday observances and spontaneous celebrations.","period_of_significance":"1867-1871","architect_builder":"Ferdinand Von Miller/August Kreling","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Moved northwest and turned 180 degrees in 1969 for the new Fountain Square plaza; restored in 1971 and rededicated October 16, 1971. Publicly owned and accessible.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.403441-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79001854.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001854/a1dcdd552b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001854/a1dcdd552b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"MamaGeek at en.wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TylerDavidsonFountainAtNight.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">MamaGeek at en.wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TylerDavidsonFountainAtNight.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989183","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Davidson_Fountain","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q524801"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/hamilton-county/davidson-tyler-fountain-79001854/"}