Manchester’s historic fountain, formerly located behind the Administration Building, has been gone for several years for restoration. This means that, sadly, some students have not yet had the privilege of sitting near or walking past the peaceful flowing water of the fountain. That is, until now.

If you’ve visited campus recently, you may have noticed that the fountain has been restored to its original location, in the middle of the grounds now called Oak Grove, with benches installed and flowers planted around it. 

Prior to the demolition of the Administration Building, issues were known about the water line to the fountain, which would lose power during the project because the line was fed from the Administration Building. Brady Forman, director of maintenance and grounds, and Alexis Young, assistant vice president for facilities and auxiliary services, presented a plan to cabinet to reconstruct the concrete base of the fountain and run new power and water lines as part of the cleanup from the Ad Building project. The top priority was to finish the sidewalks in Oak Grove before completing the fountain, but the restoration process was sidelined for over a year due to a concrete shortage. 

Manchester’s Class of 1969, along with other generous donors, raised enough funds to make the restoration possible. On June 6, 2024, during the annual Alumni Days festivities, the fountain was officially rededicated. 

Find photos from the rededication ceremony here.