Prefontaine Fountain, Concrete fountain in Pioneer Square district, Seattle, United States
The Prefontaine Fountain is a concrete basin in the Pioneer Square neighborhood with a circular rim adorned by turtle sculptures and blue ceramic tiles inside. Water flows from the structure, creating a functional centerpiece in this downtown district near City Hall.
Built in 1925, the fountain came from a donation by Father Francis X. Prefontaine, who established Seattle's first Catholic parish. The structure was fully reconstructed in the 1980s during construction of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel project.
The fountain design by Carl Frelinghuysen Gould combines architectural elements with functional water features in a public gathering space near City Hall Park.
The fountain sits at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Yesler Way in downtown Seattle, where it is easily accessible from nearby sidewalks. The location puts it within walking distance of other buildings and gathering spaces in the Pioneer Square area.
The turtle sculptures adorning the basin rim were originally designed to spray water from their mouths. This combination of sculpture and water jets shows how artistic details were integrated into the working structure.
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