Fountain restoration – two to go

Historic City News has learned from the Department of Public Affairs of the City of St. Augustine, through its publication The St. Augustine Report, that two of Henry Flagler’s remaining original fountains may soon be restored.

The two fountains are adjacent to the Malaga Street fire station – partially filled in over the years, and behind the Lightner Building (City Hall) which has been “adaptively reused” as a planter, saving it from extinction.

City Operations Officer John Regan is hoping funds raised by last week’s Noche de Gala – and perhaps a bit of help from contributors – can make their restoration possible. One such benefactor is St. Augustine contractor John Valdes, who recently restored a fountain in the west garden of Government House.

The Lightner Building fountain appears to need only some serious excavation. Central and peripheral concrete urns are still in place.

Of Flagler’s original seven fountains, two are gone; one replaced by Cordova Street redesign and the other replaced by the swimming pool on the west side of Flagler College.

Functioning today are fountains in the Flagler College entry, King Street entry of the Lightner Building and the west garden of Government House – which is the most recent restoration.