News

New lighted feature will replace mountain fountain

Hendersonville City Council members voted last week to authorize city crews and a pool contractor to install a new water feature downtown to replace the ‘mountain fountain,’ which was installed in 2013. The city plans to have the new fountain in place in time for the big America 250 celebration on the Fourth of July. [CITY ENGINEER’S RENDERING]

By Bill Moss, Published: May 20, 2026

Critics of downtown’s most prominent — and panned — piece of public art can rejoice.

The “mountain fountain” is going away.

Beloved by few — and sometimes mocked as the “mountain molar” — the copper depiction of the Blue Ridge mountains rising above the French Broad River Valley — or something like that — will be removed and replaced by decorative water jets.

The Hendersonville City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday night to authorize city engineers and a public works crew to remove the old while Medallion Pools install the new.

City engineers have been working with Medallion to evaluate the fountain and come up with a new design. Medallion, which installed the original mechanical system, “developed concepts to modernize the fountain while maintaining the integrity of the existing brick structure,” says a resolution the council adopted. A contract with the pool contractor will include cleaning the existing brick structure and installing new water jets and lighting “to improve (the) functionality, safety and visual appeal” of the urban artwork on the First Citizens plaza on North Main.

Brett Detwiler, the chief city engineer and assistant city manager for public services, estimated that the city and Medallion could complete the job for $65,000 or less. The city hopes to have the new fountain installed and running by the Fourth of July, when hundreds are expected to line Main Street for the big America 250 parade.

Council member Lyndsey Simpson favored the option that she said would be less enticing for young children on a hot day.

“This one to me is less inviting for people to randomly let their children run into it, whereas the other one to me looks more like, ‘I’m a splash pad, jump in me,’” she said. “So that’s my theory. I like them both. I can go either way. I’m just glad we’re doing it. But that’s my 2 cents.”

Simpson’s 2 cents notwithstanding, council members opted for the option of gently ascending water jets. One member said that design looked “less aggressive” than one with a dominant center spout.

The fountain that will be installed in the coming weeks “features three bands of water spouts that rise in height as they spiral toward the center, creating a more modern and distinctive look,” city engineers said. The basin will include accent lighting to enhance the fountain at night.

The pool company and city engineers will add some sort of protection against kids playing in the water, City Manager John Connet said Tuesday.

Installed in 2013, the original “Mountain Memories” fountain cost $183,284.59 — a $100,000 overrun attributable in part to an underground pump system that had to be re-engineered.

Asheville artist Berry Bate, who had done metal and stone work at Grove Park Inn, the Biltmore Estate and Jump Off Rock, was chosen from among three finalists to make the public sculpture. A more abstract gateway piece that had support from two members of the council at the time ultimately was dropped.

Thirteen years later, council members seem to acknowledge that the fountain had become the butt of jokes around town. They posed in front of the sculpture the day of the vote.

“It’s been real, and it’s been nice, but it hasn’t been real nice,” Mayor pro tem Jennifer Hensley, who is running for mayor, quipped in a caption under the Facebook photo. “Folks, we’re replacing the fountain!”

A Facebook visitor commented, “Long overdue for that to be removed.”

After the council vote, Mayor Barbara Volk declared that the motion was adopted.

“And we will move forward with something pretty and safe,” she said.

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