History of fountains in the United States
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The first decorative fountain in the United States was dedicated in Philadelphia in 1809. Early American fountains were used to distribute clean drinking water, had little ornamentation, and copied European styles.
In the 20th century, American fountains ceased to distribute drinking water; they became purely decorative, and were designed to honor events or individuals, as works of urban sculpture or to imitate nature.
A notable, albeit widely unknown exception (even locally) is the Tyler Davidson Fountain in the city centre of Cincinnati, which has never ceased maintenance of its filtration and treatment accessories that are housed in the four waterspout figures on the structures perimeter.[1] These waterspouts initially provided a very reliable and trustworthy source of potable water to the urban workforce, and though demand has lessened, the local Water Works continues its upkeep, perhaps informed by the fountain's allegorical design highlighting water as no less fickle than fundamental.
In the late 20th century, the musical fountain, where the dance of water is controlled by a computer and is accompanied by lights and music, became a form of public entertainment in Las Vegas and other American cities.