Newly restored Hogan's Fountain reopens to visitors in Louisville's Cherokee Park

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A historic Cherokee Park landmark is now back open to visitors.

A ribbon-cutting was held Wednesday for the newly restored Hogan's Fountain on the Scenic Loop in Cherokee Park.

Olmsted Parks Conservancy was behind the $230,000 restoration project to help separate the landmark from traffic.

Nine inches of asphalt were removed from the area surrounding the fountain. The original cobblestones were salvaged and re-installed.

Decorative islands filled with native plants were also added, to create a more inviting environment.

"Well it's one of the original iconic features in, I would say, our entire park system, not just Cherokee Park," said Layla George, president and CEO of Olmsted Parks Conservancy. "And it was a miracle it hadn't been hit or damaged to this date. And we just wanted to make sure that didn't happen, and also just to create some seating and just a really nice little area."

The fountain, created between 1903 and 1904 by Louisville artist Enid Yandell, was commissioned by prominent merchants Mr. and Mrs. William J. Hogan, who gifted the fountain to the city of Louisville in 1904.

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