Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Address: 1st St. & Independence Ave., SW
Date: 1876
Architect: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi
Phone: (202) 225-7099

Designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, this fountain was cast in Paris for display at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where it won many prizes. At the close of the exposition, the U.S. government purchased it and in 1878 placed it in the Botanic Gardens, then at the center of the Mall. It was removed to its current location in 1931. It became one of the major attractions in Washington during the nineteenth century, illuminated at night with 12 electric light bulbs, one of the first such public lighting displays in the city. It is surrounded by a fine perennial garden, with plant materials all marked.

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