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This is the signature spot in Cincinnati, a gathering place and focal point in the heart of the city. The "Tyler Davidson Fountain" rises 43 feet in the center of the square. It is the oldest sculpture in the Queen City, and is her best known and most loved symbol.
Water streams from the outstretched arms of a 9-foot-tall female figure representing the "Genius of Water." Below, four adult figures dramatize the life-sustaining uses of water and four relief panels depict the industrial uses of water. These are fitting symbols in a river city. Four drinking spouts on the lower tier once held communal cups for pedestrians to use.
The fountain was a gift to the city of Cincinnati in 1871, from local businessman Henry Probasco, in memory of his deceased brother-in-law and business partner. It is the creation of sculptor August von Kreling of Munich, Germany.
The first time I saw the fountain was on a trip from Tennessee to Cincinnati with my Dad and three of my brothers in 1954. I was at Fountain Square again the last week in June, 2004. The downtown area around the fountain has changed dramatically during the interim, but the fountain itself has endured - just as I always remembered it.
From journals
Cincinnati, Ohio: My Home Town