Friends of the Electric Fountain

The name “Electric Fountain” was given to a number of fountains built when the age of electricity was young and arc lights were first used to illuminate them. Some of these Electric Fountains were designed by a brilliant electrical engineer and inventor by the name of F.W. Darlington. Research has uncovered fountains designed by Darlington as early as 1896. Newspaper accounts refer to “polychrome lighting” in the glowing descriptions of the dramatic new lighting effects.

However, the Electric Fountain in Ferril Lake at Denver City Park seems to be the only one to have the word “Prismatic” added to the name. The first place this terminology showed up is in the Denver Municipal Facts issue of May 22, 1909, a publication of the City of Denver. Early post cards like the one above, illustrated (with some careful air-brushing and coloring) the rainbow of colored lighting effects on the water, as if generated by sunlight shining through a prism.

The Prismatic Electric Fountain ?

This page updated:

October 1, 2009

Text Box: The 2008 Electric Fountain was dedicated on August 19, 2008 and it delighted visitors attending the Democratic National Convention in Denver with exciting displays of water in motion and colored light, just as the 1908 fountain did 100 years ago. NOTE: On the afternoon of Friday, June 26th, a quick moving thunderstorm hit City Park and the 90-foot tall column of water from the center geyser nozzle was hit by lightning. Some of the equipment in the fountain vault and colored LED lights were damaged by the direct strike. 10/1/2009 Update: The Electric Fountain has been shut down for the replacement of the damaged multi-color LED lights. This work will continue through October as weather permits.

Notice: This web site and its contents are © 2009 and produced by Larry Kerecman, founder of the Friends of the Electric Fountain, to disseminate information about the Electric Fountain in Ferril Lake at City Park in Denver, Colorado. This is not an official web site of the City and County of Denver Department of Parks and Recreation, which owns and operates the Electric Fountain.