Beginning on Monday, Sept. 15, the City of Savannah’s Park and Tree Department will oversee the return of the restored Forsyth Park Fountain to its basin in Savannah as part of the first major restoration project of the iconic fountain since 1988.

The fountain will not be operational until early November as restoration work to the fountain’s basin masonry, surrounding fence, pumphouse and plumbing, will continue through the rest of September and October. Staff anticipate the Forsyth Park Fountain Restoration Project will conclude by Oct. 31, pending any unforeseen delays. Updates will be provided to the public as they become available. 

Crews with Landmark Preservation LLC, the City's contractors for the project, began preparing the basin for the fountain’s return on Monday, Sept. 8. Over the next week, crews will sandblast and prep the basin.

Pending any delays, crews with Landmark Preservation and sub-contractor Robinson Iron Works will reinstall the fountain in the basin beginning on Monday, Sept. 15. Installation is expected to last until Wednesday Sept. 17. Through October, crews will be finishing work inside of the basin including a focus on the plumbing and electrical components.

Although the fountain was still operational, it required critical restoration to preserve its structural and historic integrity. The City moved to complete the Forsyth Park Fountain Restoration Project this year during the low-traffic summer months.

The City awarded a contract to Landmark Preservation in May following City Council approval for an amount not to exceed $650,000. Landmark Preservation hired Alabama-based sub-contractors Robinson Iron Works to carefully disassemble, recast, and restore the fountain’s original cast-iron components. The fountain was removed from the basin on June 23 by contracted staff and taken to the foundry in Alabama for restoration work. Robinson Iron Works also worked on the fountain during the last major restoration project in 1988.

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.