vThe City of Savannah’s Park and Tree Department and contractor Landmark Preservation, LLC will begin work today on the first major restoration of the iconic Forsyth Park fountain since 1988.
The fountain will be turned off today and drained to prepare the structure for removal. On Thursday, June 19, crews from Landmark Preservation, their subcontractor Robinson Iron Works, and City staff will conduct a site visit to finalize full removal logistics.
Robinson Iron Works will begin carefully removing smaller decorative elements, including urns and swans, during the site visit on Thursday.
Full removal of the fountain is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 23. Landmark Preservation aims to complete the removal within one to two days. The fountain’s metalwork will then be restored offsite at Robinson Iron Works facility in Alabama. Once restoration is complete, the fountain will return to Savannah for reassembly and final site work.
A firm timeline for the fountain’s return to the park is not yet available. Staff anticipate the full restoration project will be completed by early fall, pending any delays.
The restoration project was approved by City Council during its regular meeting on Thursday, May 22. The City awarded the restoration contract to Landmark Preservation LLC, in an amount not to exceed $650,000.
The fountain is operational but requires critical restoration to preserve its structural and historic integrity. This restoration project marks the first time in more than 100 years the fountain will be absent from Forsyth Park. In preparation, staff have cleared the special events calendar from the surrounding area during the restoration period.
Robinson Iron Works will carefully disassemble, recast, and restore the fountain’s original cast-iron components. Additional restoration will also include the fountain basin’s masonry, surrounding fence, water pumphouse, plumbing, and electrical systems.
The Forsyth Park Fountain was originally conceived as a focal point of the landscaped park and has undergone several modifications since its original installation.
Modeled after a design by J.P. Iron Foundry near Paris, France—the fountain was ordered from the Janes, Beebe & Co. catalog as “Model #5.” Installation began July 1858 and included enlarging the pool area. The fountain was first turned on in August of that year.