Springfield Then & Now: Enjoying the Esplanade

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

This photo from around 1900 shows people enjoying a beautiful day around the Esplanade.

O.S. Kelly’s grand 40-foot fountain was dedicated in July 1889 and even in the early years, the area underwent a lot of changes.

Iron benches that had surrounded the trees in the mid-1890s were removed by this time and you can see one of the two cannons that stood south and north of the fountain.

The cannons were later removed to Ferncliff and, following severe pipe damage in 1909 and further maintenance issues, the original fountain was removed in 1914.

The current fountain, dedicated in 1992, is much smaller than the original but the Esplanade is still a beautiful place to gather or just relax.

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