Edison Memorial Fountain
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The Edison Memorial Fountain, located in the western half of Grand Circus Park, was created to honor Thomas Alva Edison and his achievements. The fountain is a circular structure made out of Indiana limestone with jets.
The fountain had been operating in the east and was purchased by Allied Electrical Industries, which contributed $25,000, and the Detroit Board of Commerce which contributed another $2,000. The fountain was reassembled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Edison's invention of the electric lamp.
Among those attending the dedication on Oct. 21st, 1929, were Edison and President Herbert Hoover. The plaque on the fountain reads:
ERECTED BY
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF DETROIT
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
THOMAS ALVA EDISON
THE REALM OF ELECTRICITY
OCTOBER TWENTY-FIRST
IN THE YEAR
ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE
The lights were turned on in Edison's memory during his funeral in 1931.
After repairs, the fountain was rededicated Oct. 18, 1984. New lighting, jets, and controls were installed in 1998.
