1969: Fountain torn down by plan

March 27, 1969

It was no accident that the $20,000 fountain constructed in 1961 as the focal point of reconstruction of San Jacinto Plaza, was demolished by contractors working on the new $105,000 Plaza remodeling, Parks Supt. Dale Tate said Wednesday.

Tate said the contract with John R. Lavis Construction Co. calls for removal of the fountain but eight years ago and replacing it with a new and smaller one of cast concrete finished in tile.

He said the bronze plaques depicting a conquistador, padre, Indian and pioneer were salvaged and will be placed on the new band stand to be erected near the central fountain.

He said the new fountain will be octagonal in shape with the base on a raised encircling sidewalk platform. The lower basin will be 13 feet in diameter and tree and a half feet high. The upper basin will be six feet across and two and a half feet above the bottom basin.

Water will overflow on each side of the octagonal upper basin into the lower basin, eliminating the water spray that was a feature of the old fountain, Tate said.

There are no plans for including historical tile mosaics in the surrounding sidewalk area as previously suggested, Tate said.

Comments

[Pearl Rhoda Downey- Cross]

wow i did'nt realize they tore it down but I Left
EP in 67 It was my most remembered thing. I would
catch the bus home from work there and while I
was waiting I'd sit by the fountain. Its a shame,
it to me was a land mark of downtown EP.

[Tim Baker]

I love the work you do with the archives. Thank you and continue keeping us informed of the past.

[Joe Velarde]

That's horrible. You'd never even consider the evolution of the plaza before reading this article. To think the "fountain" looks the way it does today because of the destruction of the original. I would've liked to see that one. Keep up the great work! I love reading these :)