A landmark from days of old when Merced was known as “Fountain City” is back, fully restored for new generations to appreciate.

Victor A. Patton

The Merced FOCUS

City leaders and residents appluaded and cheered Monday morning as the Laura Fountain in Applegate Park came back to life, water flowing freely from its marble columns, pouring into a clear, cerulean pool at its granite base.

The last time water flowed from the fountain was 2018, and back then the aging structure was far removed from its 19th Century heyday.

Merced’s founder Charles Henry Huffman built the fountain in 1888 in honor of his third wife, Laura Kirkland Huffman, according to local historian Sarah Lim.

The fountain was established at Merced’s El Capitan railroad depot and was moved to its current location at Applegate Park’s rose garden in 1935.

Mayor Matthew Serratto spoke to a small crowd gathered Monday morning at the fountain, calling it a “symbol and an intergral piece” of Merced’s history.

“As we move forward and as we progress as a city, it’s not just about adding new things, but it’s also about taking care of our history, taking care of what past generations have bequeathed upon us as well,” the mayor said.

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“And this is, I think, the paramount symbol of that.”

The renovation cost nearly $300,000, and about $123,000 of that was raised via donations and a wide range of community benefactors.

Some of the descendants of the fountain’s namesake were on hand for Monday’s event. Joanne Wigley, the great grandaughter of Laura Kirkland Huffman, said she used to walk by the fountain as a child.

Wigley said the restoration was a “long way coming,” saying the last time she can remember the water being on was many years ago.

Two Years of Renovation

Joe Cardoso, a city surveyor who was assistant project manager on the fountain’s restoration, said construction work took about two years. Fundraising for the renovation started in 2021.

“It’s been a joy for the community and it’s been a lot of work and a lot of time,” Cardoso told The Merced FOCUS.

Crews excavated the area around the fountain and built a solid foundation under it – a 12-inch-thick concrete slab reinfoced with rebar. A base of rocks was put underneath the fountain, and a contractor restored the original rim around it.

A contractor was also able to restore the gargoyles around the fountain that had been damaged, and other parts that had decayed were also restored. The top piece of the fountain is a replica of the original.

Cardoso said restoring the fountain’s foundation was the most expensive part of the project. In the past, the city had tried putting plaster on cracks which formed in the foundation, but it didn’t last.

“We knew if we could get the foundation done, solid, then we we could spend other funds at a later date to do more things to it,” he said.

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“When we first started we didn’t want to disturb the fountain because (it was delicate), so we had to figure out how we were going to build a solid foundation so that the fountain would be secure.”

There’s still a little more work to be done on the fountain. Cardoso said workers will be doing some modifications to the top of the fountain to ensure the water is flowing evenly.

City officials said Monday’s event was a soft launch. They expect to have a larger ceremony for the fountain in the spring.

About the Author

Victor Patton is editor-in-chief of The Merced FOCUS.