FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2025 [SAN FRANCISCO]—San Francisco Heritage, the city’s leading preservation nonprofit, will join the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) in commemorating the 150th anniversary of the city’s enduring public monument, Lotta’s Fountain, on September 9, 2025.
A gift to the City of San Francisco by Lotta Crabtree in 1875, the fountain is now in the Civic Art Collection of the City and County of San Francisco.
“Lotta’s Fountain is more than a public ornament,” said Woody LaBounty, SF Heritage President & CEO. “It is inextricably bound with the history of San Francisco and holds a small part of every San Franciscan’s heart.”
About the Monument
Lotta’s Fountain is located on a pedestrian island at the intersection of Market, Geary, and Kearny in downtown San Francisco.
Rising to a height of 18 feet, the fountain is made of cast iron painted in an imitation of bronze and is set atop a granite base, eight-foot square by three feet thick. Each of the fountain’s four sides holds a drinking basin with a griffin’s head, with water originally flowing from the mouth.
Also featuring lion heads and bronze medallions with California Gold Rush scenes, the fountain is topped by a short, fluted column and a lamp.
The Arts Commission has made several restorations of the fountain over the decades, including in 1999 and most recently conservation and repair work in 2024 with work carried out by ARG Conservation Services.
Monument History
A familiar monument passed daily by thousands of San Franciscans, the fountain was dedicated at an official city ceremony headed by mayor James Otis on September 9, 1875—the 25th anniversary of California’s admission into the United States.
The fountain was donated to San Francisco by entertainer Lotta Crabtree, a gift to the city that had first recognized her talents as a vaudeville and stage actress. Though Crabtree was not present at the dedication and did not request its now-adopted name of “Lotta’s Fountain,” she returned to San Francisco in 1915 for a ceremony at the fountain and cried while joining the celebratory crowd to sing I Love You, California.
The fountain has now been a witness to 150 years of San Francisco history, notably as a survivor of the 1906 earthquake and fires. It has become an annual early-morning gathering place each April 18 to commemorate the disaster that so greatly shaped the city by the bay. The fountain has also been the site of notable performances such as a 1910 Christmas Eve concert by opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, who sang for a crowd of over 250,000.
In 1916, an eight-foot section was added to the top so that the height of the fountain would conform to the new “Path of Gold” lamps then being installed on Market Street (today collectively City Landmark no. 200). It was returned to its original height after a restoration in 1999.
The fountain has been moved several times within the intersection, most recently in 1974 as part of a $24.5 million Market Street beautification project.
Today, it is the oldest public monument in San Francisco and is both a City Landmark (no. 73) and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Commemoration
SF Heritage will mark the anniversary by hosting a FREE online history program together with guests from the Arts Commission on Tuesday, September 9 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Registration details can be found at www.sfheritage.org.
A larger public celebration in conjunction with the Arts Commission to commemorate various historic milestones of the fountain is tentatively scheduled for December 2025.
“For 150 years, Lotta’s Fountain has held a special place for many San Franciscans, and from its home along Market Street, has been part of many celebrations and remembrances that have come to shape San Francisco,” said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs for SFAC. “The fountain serves not just as a connection to our city’s past, but a constant reminder of San Francisco’s spirit and resilience that continues to inspire and bring us together to this day. We look forward to commemorating this special work of art later this year and thank SF Heritage for being a partner in preserving San Francisco’s history.”
About San Francisco Heritage: San Francisco Heritage is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that preserves and enhances San Francisco’s unique architectural and cultural identity. Its programs and partnerships interpret, share, and celebrate the shared histories, landscapes, and communities of the city to instill optimism, belonging, and purpose. www.sfheritage.org
About The San Francisco Arts Commission: The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Their programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.
San Francisco Heritage Media Contact:
Kerri Young
Programs and Communications Director
415-483-4774
kyoung@sfheritage.org
San Francisco Arts Commission Media Contact:
Coma Te
Director of Communications
415-252-2229
coma.te@sfgov.org
