The Palmer Fountain.

**KENSINGTONY** · August-06-09, 04:36 PM

In looking through the many photos of old Detroit on the memory.loc.gov site,I saw that there was a fountain in front of the old Detroit Opera House at Campus Martius[[circa the teens and twenties) and in one of the photos it's named as the Palmer Fountain.Obviously long gone now,but does anyone know what happened to it?Sold off?Moved?Demolished?When?

dexterferry · August-06-09, 04:41 PM

it's six miles up woodward now.

EastSider · August-06-09, 04:42 PM

The Merrill Fountain was in front of the Opera House, and it was moved to Palmer Park in 1925. It's still there, but not working.

**EastsideAl** · August-06-09, 04:45 PM

It sits moldering away in Palmer Park, dry, abandoned, and mostly forgotten.

From this:

To this:

**jerrytimes** · August-06-09, 04:48 PM

This city is so irritating. I know it's not a real big deal that a fountain is wasting away in a park, but it's almost what the city's problem is. Just leave everything to sit and rot, not to fix it.

**Gistok** · August-06-09, 05:01 PM

At one point in the last 2 years the Detroit Opera House [[the one where the fountain was original located was razed decades age, this is a different location.. site of the former Capitol Theatre) and the Detroit Athletics Club were interested in possibly having the damaged fountain moved back downtown from Palmer Park. The possible relocation sites were going to be either in the grassy medium of Madison Ave. between [[or near) the 2 institutions, or at the East Grand Circus Park terminus of Madison Ave.

Due to the troubles of the economy, that idea has been shelved [[for the moment).

**n7hn** · August-06-09, 05:47 PM

and that fountian hasnt worked in decades, I have some photos of it from about 1980 and it was an abandon wreck then. It had a old disco shoe next to a dead bird in it. Symbolic of good times past in my minds eye.....too bad really

**Rocko** · August-06-09, 07:23 PM

I have a beautiful framed photo of it from the 1880s in front of the Opera House hanging in my living room. Lovely.

I personally think they should move it back downtown and put it into Capitol Park when it is updated and revamped. Fix it all up and make it a good meeting place, central in the CP triangle. If they can fix the James Scott fountain, they can do this one too!

**Gistok** · August-07-09, 12:37 AM

Lizzie Merrill Palmer, who paid for the fountain as a memorial to her father, would be turning in her grave if she saw the damaged weed choked fountain today!

Ironically, even though the city hasn't maintained it, I'm surprised that none of the monied folks in nearby Palmer Woods haven't ponied up for its' upkeep.

Agreed on moving it back downtown...

**stasu1213** · August-07-09, 08:52 AM

Does anyone know what part of Palmer Park where canoeing was?

**Detroitnerd** · August-07-09, 09:03 AM

I'm just going to say it: That wreck of a fountain should be demolished. And we should do it while we can still use federal stimulus money to do so.

**Gary** · August-07-09, 09:19 AM

stasu1213...The Palmer Park duck pond/canoe pond is just west of the fountain on Merrill Plaisance. I remember freezing my ass off as a kid trying to learn how to ice skate on that pond.

**EastsideAl** · August-07-09, 09:33 AM

I like Rocko's idea. Bring it back downtown, and put it somewhere where it can be seen and enjoyed. Capitol Park will be a blank slate, just waiting for something like this that will reconnect it with the city's history - and replace the fountain that was taken out way back when they decided to turn it into a bus parking lot.

**jt1** · August-07-09, 09:35 AM

I'm curious if the people that are bitching about the condition have done a thing to improve the appearance of the fountain.

Have you pulled weeds from the area around the fountain? Have you contacted any organizations that may help with it's upkeep?

I woudl love to see it restored but the city is broke and this should be about the 1,000,000 th priority on their list.

If you are outraged start an organization to maintain and perform upkeep on the fountain. If your outrage results in nothing more than bitching on a message board then it must not be a lot of outrage.

And if anyone if concerned - I have not lifted a finger to improve or maintain the fountain. [[I assume it would be asked)

So who where that is upset will start a 'Friends of Palmer Fountain'?

Lorax · August-07-09, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Rocko

I have a beautiful framed photo of it from the 1880s in front of the Opera House hanging in my living room. Lovely.

I personally think they should move it back downtown and put it into Capitol Park when it is updated and revamped. Fix it all up and make it a good meeting place, central in the CP triangle. If they can fix the James Scott fountain, they can do this one too!

I agree, move it, or restore it in place- however, it looks as though Palmer Park is ready for it's last rites, as the surrounding apartments are bombed out, and there isn't really any reason to use it in it's current state. I lived there in the early-mid eighties for a couple of years and really liked it, now I wouldn't even consider it. Even the LaVogue Manor, one of the best deco buildings in the city is now boarded up and not long for this world, I'm afraid.

The Scott Fountain, though, hasn't been restored, at least as of a week ago when I was there! I love this fountain, and sadly, it's lower fountains have been non-operational for decades now, and the marble is stained and crumbling in places. At least the bronze turtles were saved. There is considerable damage to the fountain and the surrounding pavers. I did notice the giant hedges were removed, showing areas next to the staircases where bronze lantern standards once were. This area needs a total renovation and maintanence program, including the removal of that giant concrete pad which only defaces the area entirely. Geez, how many bad decisions can one city make?

**Detroitnerd** · August-07-09, 09:57 AM

We cannot allow that dangerous fountain to stand there. It has become a hazard and an eyesore, and I cannot believe you people don't understand that it has to be demolished RIGHT NOW! What does that fountain produce? Nothing! How many jobs is it going to create? None! You can talk about sprucing it up and taking it downtown, but down there it will just remain a vacant eyesore. I can't believe when money is so tight, people are discussing irresponsible things like refurbishing that old 19th century wreck! We need NEW development, not those old, obsolete, outdated things! Idiots! Tear it down!

**davewindsor** · August-07-09, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by Lorax

Even the LaVogue Manor, one of the best deco buildings in the city is now boarded up and not long for this world, I'm afraid.

You mean this building designed by an associate of Howard Crane? http://www.flickr.com/photos/71288712@N00/2505350231/

That's just sad.

**KENSINGTONY** · August-07-09, 10:34 AM

Thanks for the replies.Sorry to see that it's in such bad shape and mostly forgotten.

Lorax · August-07-09, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

You mean this building designed by an associate of Howard Crane? http://www.flickr.com/photos/71288712@N00/2505350231/

That's just sad.

Yes, that's the building. It had a super built-in glass sign next to the front door that in black in white deco graphics procalimed: "La Vogue"

Most of the surrounding buildings are bombed out and overrun with drug dealing. I remember when it was a great building 25 years ago.

Isn't there anyone who can buy this building and keep it up. It couldn't cost more than a couple hundred thousand or less.

**jtf1972** · August-07-09, 10:44 AM

I'd love to see it in Roosevelt Park, right in front of a restored MCS.

A man can dream, can't he?

**6nois** · August-07-09, 11:11 AM

I live in the area and I would like to keep it in place. I am nearly sure people still live in the La Vouge, the basement windows are boarded, but thats it. The area is not really as bad as people make it out to be.

**buildingsofdetroit** · August-07-09, 01:04 PM

Move that schitt down to Campus Martius again. Or better yet, if they're going to tear down the Lafayette Building for a park, put it there.

**Gistok** · August-07-09, 06:45 PM

I don't think bitching about the state of the fountain is bad. If anything it begs the question of why the Scott Fountain has been restored [[at least partly anyway).... and the Hurlbut Memorial Gate over on East Jefferson has been restored twice already... once under CAY, and again recently.

If the folks in the area don't appreciate it... I suggest that a suburban Detroit city request to buy it and have it moved. That way the screaming indignation of Detroiters of "stealing" our cultural assets will put a fire under the city to finally do something with it...

All kidding aside, I think it should return downtown.... privately financed of course, as that idea was floated before the economy tanked.

stinkbug · August-07-09, 06:53 PM

Why not keep it where it is and clean it up? There has to be some money for that thing somewhere. Fix it and everybody will have a second fountain location to take their wedding photos besides Scott Fountain.

Not everything has to be downtown. It would be nice to see the rest of the city get some attention besides occasional infill housing. People might actually want to live here.

**Gistok** · August-07-09, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

We cannot allow that dangerous fountain to stand there. It has become a hazard and an eyesore, and I cannot believe you people don't understand that it has to be demolished RIGHT NOW! What does that fountain produce? Nothing! How many jobs is it going to create? None! You can talk about sprucing it up and taking it downtown, but down there it will just remain a vacant eyesore. I can't believe when money is so tight, people are discussing irresponsible things like refurbishing that old 19th century wreck! We need NEW development, not those old, obsolete, outdated things! Idiots! Tear it down!

Detroitnerd... I think that you should be drowned in the Merrill Fountain!

But since that's not possible, maybe choke on some of its' weeds!

After some of your replies... I sometimes think that you are choking on "weed"!