Tyler Davidson Foundation
The centerpiece of downtown, the Tyler Davidson Fountain has come to symbolize the city as a whole. Cast at the Royal Bavarian Foundry in Munich, the elaborate bronze fountain was donated to the city in 1871 by Henry Probasco. The 43-foot-high fountain contains thirteen allegorical figures and four bas-reliefs depicting the importance of water to our lives. The central female figure, the Genius of Water, stands with arms outstretched showering water from the palms of her hands. Nuremberg sculptor August von Kreling (1819-1876) designed the fountain in the 1840s for King Ludwig I of Bavaria, but it was not executed until 1870 when Henry Probasco saw the sketches and commissioned the piece as a suitable monument for the city, as well as a memorial to his deceased brother-in-law and business partner Tyler Davidson.
The fountain was moved 30 feet in the 1960s and turned 180 degrees to face west. The fountain was reconditioned for its 100th anniversary by sculptor Eleftherios Karkadoulias and rededicated in 1971.
