New Orleans, LA


Look carefully as that is a man drinking from a spigot while a horse drinks from the bowl!

When Lewis Seaver, Secretary of the National Humane Alliance, visited New Orleans in September 1907 he was on the outlook for a possible location for a NHA fountain to be given to the city of New Orleans. S. W. Weiss from the city had spearheaded the effort for the city to request a fountain and Seaver did find a location to his liking at the intersections of Barrone, St. Joseph Street and Howard Avenue.

In January, 1908 Mayor Behrman received Seaver's letter offering the fountain to New Orleans from Weiss who was president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals with the usual conditions including Seaver's approved location for the fountain. In March, the City Council heard from City Engineer, Capt. Hardee, that workers from the Municipal Repair Plan could handle the move and installation for the city without any additional financial contribution from the city. On April 1, the City Council voted to accept the fountain. The fountain was shipped to the city in June of that year, but it was not erected until April 28, 1909. In 1917, it was reported that a careless driver (horse or auto, we don't know) had knocked it out of service causing the Sewerage and Water Board employees to take it down, strengthen it with steel bars and put back in place with the water once again flowing.


1933 photo - notice the missing lions heads - Thank you Charlotte Jones

An article in the Times-Picayune on September 11, 1960 said that the fountain was then located at Howard and Dryades and that the water had been disconnected in 1955. It had been reported that the SPCA Guild were in the process of making plans to put the fountain back into working order, but we've yet to find evidence that happened and we're still looking to see what became of the fountain!

For more on the National Humane Alliance Fountains click here.


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