Fountain Square | |
|---|---|
City square | |
 | |
| Nickname: "The Square" | |
 | |
| Coordinates:39°6′5.8″N84°30′45″W / 39.101611°N 84.51250°W /39.101611; -84.51250 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Elevation | 482 ft (147 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code | 513 |
| Website | http://www.myfountainsquare.com |
Fountain Square is acity square inCincinnati, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.
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AnIndian mound stood at the present site of Fountain Square when the first white settlers arrived.[1]
Fountain Square has been the symbolic center of Cincinnati since 1871.[2] The square, which replaced a butcher's market,[3] was a gift fromHenry Probasco in memory of his business partner and brother-in-law, Tyler Davidson. Probasco traveled toMunich and commissioned a bronze allegorical fountain fromFerdinand von Miller namedThe Genius of Water. Originally, the square occupied a large island in the middle of Fifth Street with buildings to the north and south, much like nearbyPiatt Park. A 1971 renovation of the square included slightly moving and re-orienting the fountain to the west, and enlarging the plaza by removing the original westbound portion of 5th Street and demolishing buildings to the north. It is used for lunch-breaks, rallies, and other gatherings.
The Fountain can be seen in the opening credits onWKRP in Cincinnati
In the early 2000s, the square was completely renovated and re-designed by 3cdc andBHDP Architecture (consulted byCooper, Robertson & Partners andOLIN) to attract more visitors to the city, and to serve as a cultural/recreational hub for the city. In addition to the renovations, many buildings in and around the Fountain Square district are currently being renovated and redesigned. The Fountain itself was completely restored and moved to a more central location in the square.
After the death of his brother-in-law and business partner Tyler Davidson, Cincinnati businessman Henry Probasco went to Munich, Germany in search of a suitable memorial to him. Many years before, artist August von Kreling had collaborated with Ferdinand von Miller at the Royal Bronze Foundry of Bavaria to design a fountain. Probasco requested the addition of four figures with animals that would act as drinking fountains, which Miller's sons designed.
Fountain Square has many events all through the week including speeches, games, movies, concerts, giveaways, and festivals. The square also has many seasonal events such as Halloween on the square, the ice rink,Oktoberfest (largest outside of Germany)[4] and more.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary ofEarth Day 2010, the square featured "EcoSculpt 2010", an exhibit ofsustainable art. The exhibit included "Atlas Recycled" byTom Tsuchiya, a sculpture made of used atlases that doubled as a recycling receptacle for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.[5]
The Fountain Square District is becoming a restaurant and entertainment hub. It contains many offices, hotels, specialty shops and restaurants.
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