The Centennial Fountain was a community effort in 1876 as part of the United States centennial celebration of 1876. The funds were raised by subscription of $1.00. In the early part of May, 1876, subscriptions were being offered for the Centennial Fountain. Mr Antim Meyeur received signatures at the W.H. Bowne & Company store. It was supposed to be installed for the July 4, 1876 Centennial celebration but it did not arrive in time and was installed several weeks later. (Gouverneur Free Press, June 30, 1926)

 

The fountain was removed the week of May 2, 1957. Jess L. Skinner was the mayor when it was removed. The Gouverneur Garden Club wrote a letter to the editor in the fall of 1957 supporting the return of the fountain to the park. The current Garden Club must surely be gratified that the fountain is set to make its return in 2010.

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"The fountain that once stood in Gouverneur village park, sits in the yard of Mary Ellen LaFalce on Willow Street in Richville. When the village got rid of the fountain in the 1950s, Mrs. LaFalce and her husband fixed it and put it in their yard. Mrs. LaFalce recently passed away and left the fountain to the village in her will."

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 (Martha Ellen, Daily Courier-Observer, May 22, 2010)

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Currently, the fountain is in its former location in the Village Park. 

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