Fountains
The first public fountains in Hawai‘i were utilitarian, providing drinking water as well as contributing to municipal art. In 1867, the Temperance Legion erected an ornamental drinking fountain on the grounds of the Seaman’s Bethel Church at Bethel and King Streets. The Legion hoped that free drinking water would keep passing sailors out of nearby grogshops.
Three years later an even more ornate fountain was built, this time near the entrance to the Court House. Unlike, the Bethel’s fountain, which ran constantly, this one featured a spring-activated handle.
Perhaps the most impressive of all Island fountains was the Phoenix Fountain in Kapi‘olani Park, donated in 1919 by Hawai‘i’s Japanese to commemorate the coronation of Emperor Yoshihito. After the Pearl Harbor attack, however, an Advertiser editorial demanded it be razed as a “constant reminder of Japanese imperialism.” Thus pressured, the Parks Board tore the beautiful fountain down on December 14, 1942.