Antique drinking fountains, located on Capitol Square

In the past few years, Raleigh has been fortunate and invested in public-use infrastructure projects. This includes the installation of new benches, shelters, sidewalks, and other related items. Noticeably absent from these improvements (outside of public parks), is the outdoor drinking fountain.

As Raleigh continues to improve the experience of pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, bus riders, and others, it should consider adding more outdoor drinking fountains to address mankind’s most primitive need: thirst.

A Brief Look at the History of Outdoor Drinking Fountains

Public drinking fountains have been around since the dawn of human civilization. In fact, they were often the yardstick used to gauge whether an urban area had been “civilized.”

Public drinking infrastructure started with simple stone basins made by the Sumerians to more sophisticated gravity-powered systems used by the Greeks, Romans, and Islamic civilizations. Most of these systems fell into disrepair and largely disappeared from Europe during the Dark Ages. Revived during the Renaissance, they have been improved upon ever since.

1908 Postcard showing drinking well on Capitol Square

Drinking Fountains in the 20th Century

Although there were public sources of drinking water at the turn of the century, many were unsanitary and the source of illness:

The drinking fountain, as we know it, was developed in the early 1900s by Halsey Taylor and Haws. These two companies, founded by Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws respectively, pioneered a major change in how water was dispensed in public places. In doing so, they also helped reduce the instance of waterborne diseases among the general population. In fact, Halsey W. Taylor’s dedication to providing a safe and sanitary drink to the public was prompted by his father’s death from typhoid fever caused by a contaminated water supply.

– Al Honeycutt

This antique fountain on Capitol Square hasn't worked in a very long time.

A Look at What’s Left in Raleigh Today

I know of five outdoor drinking fountains in Raleigh that are not within a city park: three on Capitol Square, one not far away on Halifax Mall, and one on the NC State campus. Of these, only one works: the one engaged via a foot pump on Capitol Square. Those fountains were probably installed in the 1920s or 1930s.

Antique fountain on Halifax Mall

The other fountain is located on Halifax Mall and is of the same design as one of the three located on Capitol Square. Considering that all of the buildings around it are much newer, it was likely relocated in the 1970s when the Mall was built. Although it features a modern activator button on the front, it is currently non-operational.

Granite drinking fountain on NC State campus

Another non-working drinking fountain can be found at NC State. Near Primrose Hall off of Hillsborough Street, this granite fountain was a gift from the 1914 graduating class and has been moved since it was built. I’m not sure when it stopped functioning as a source of water.

To learn more about this fountain, please read How N.C. State’s 1914 Stone Fountain Became a Planter.

Drinking fountain in Chavis Park, which is also currently non-operational

The Exception: City Parks

Outdoor drinking fountains have been installed in Raleigh in recent years. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the only recipient of these fountains are the destination parks managed by Raleigh Parks and Recreation.

Drinking fountain by the playground and basketball courts on Chamberlain St.

While it’s great that these are here, they primarily serve the needs of those that traveled specifically to the park. They usually aren’t along common paths used by joggers, pedestrians, bus riders, and cyclists.

Placing new drinking fountains in strategic locations in the city could go a long way to encouraging people to be more active. More drinking fountains mean more options for runners and pedestrians–it’s not always practical to carry a bottle of water with you.

Moore Square Master Plan

A Glaring Omission in the Moore Square Master Plan

If I had to name the place that was most in need of a drinking fountain, it would be Moore Square. I was surprised and disappointed to see that although the Moore Square Master Plan includes a play fountain and an outdoor Café, there are no drinking fountains. I sincerely hope that this is simply an oversight and will be in the final design of the new Moore Square.

City Plaza also makes for a deserving location. There are light sculptures, shops, and a decorative motion activated water fountain–but no water to drink. While I appreciate the City’s investment into public art, water for drinking should come before water as decoration. One could be creative about the installation and solve both problems with one structure.

A Big Win For Everyone

The biggest use case I see for more drinking fountains are the numerous downtown festivals. Hopscotch, SPARKcon, Raleigh Wide Open, among others would benefit tremendously from more available drinking fountains. Walking around large crowds in an urban jungle quickly depletes internal fluids and it’s not always convenient to buy a soda or bottled water.

Having more drinking fountains would also encourage more outdoor exercise, by allowing joggers to stay hydrated. It would help cool down riders of public transportation that must wait for buses in the sun and car exhaust.

Although there are maintenance costs involved, drinking fountains can be found for $1,500. Put in the perspective of costs associated with streetscape improvements, it is well worth the investment.

Suggest it to City Planners and Leaders

The City of Raleigh is conducting an online survey to help develop a Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan. It runs for the next few days (ending June 30), and I hope you’ll take the short survey to provider planners with what is most beneficial to you.

There are several open-ended questions on how to improve the pedestrian experience. If you feel that the addition of more water fountains in pedestrian areas would be beneficial to you, I encourage you to mention it.

Take the survey for the City of Raleigh Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan >