Bowling Green in Warren County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Fountain Square

Photographed By Tom Bosse, July 5, 2019

1. Fountain Square Marker

Inscription.

Fountain Square. . , Welcome to the heart of Bowling Green! At any given time you might find a concert, wedding, hear a politician or even see Santa Clause when the Square is illuminated for Christmas.

Frontier Courthouse Square , Settlers trickled into this area around 1790. The Moore brothers, a locally prominent family, donated two acres of land for use as a public square. Carpenters built a log courthouse and jail to assist the establishment of local government around 1798. The Square became the heart of legal, business and social transactions where locals served food and liquor, the judge served justice and merchants sold their wares to a growing population seeking a wide variety of products.

Fountain Square Park , A brick two-story courthouse replaced the original log building as the town grew. Although no battle took place in Bowling Green during the Civil War, some of the commercial buildings around the Square burned. The town survived the occupation of two armies but it looked ragged afterwards.

A fashionable, larger courthouse was built in 1869, a block to the west. The use of the Square changed as the City officially designated this as Fountain Square Park And added a limestone fountain.

The Fountain in the Square , The original fountain deteriorated so the City ordered the current iron fountain from the J.L. Mott Ironworks of New York in 1881. To give the fountain a final flourish, Hebe the goddess of youth, crowned the top. Four iron statues based upon Roman mythology circle Hebe’s fountain. Ceres the goddess of grain, Pomona the goddess of fruit, Melpomane the goddess of tragedy, and Flora the goddess of flowers.

The Square Today , Although businesses come and go, many of the historic buildings remain including the oldest building on the square, the three-story Younglove, built in 1837 on the corner of State and Main Streets. In the 1980s, property owners, government officials and historic preservationists joined forces to protect and revitalize the area by listing it as a National Register and Local Historic District and by rehabilitating the buildings and park. Today, concerts, art walks, festivals, events at the Capitol theater and many interesting shops and restaurants attract tourists and residents.

[Captions:] , Elegant ladies relax around the fountain in Victorian garb.

As the oldest building on the Square, the Younglove’s appearance changed over time. This photo was taken in the mid 1800s and shows the original entrance.

The Nahm Brothers became some of the city’s most successful businessmen and built large stores downtown.

County Court Day Scene, Park Square, Bowling Green, Ky. Dec., 1910

The second courthouse, built in 1812.

Temperance rally in the Square, ca 1907.

Welcome to the heart of Bowling Green! At any given time you might find a concert, wedding, hear a politician or even see Santa Clause when the Square is illuminated for Christmas.

Frontier Courthouse Square
Settlers trickled into this area around 1790. The Moore brothers, a locally prominent family, donated two acres of land for use as a public square. Carpenters built a log courthouse and jail to assist the establishment of local government around 1798. The Square became the heart of legal, business and social transactions where locals served food and liquor, the judge served justice and merchants sold their wares to a growing population seeking a wide variety of products.

Fountain Square Park
A brick two-story courthouse replaced the original log building as the town grew. Although no battle took place in Bowling Green during the Civil War, some of the commercial buildings around the Square burned. The town survived the occupation of two armies but it looked ragged afterwards.

A fashionable, larger courthouse was built in 1869, a block to the west. The use of the Square changed as the City officially designated this as Fountain Square Park And added a limestone fountain.

The Fountain in the Square
The original fountain deteriorated so the City ordered the current iron

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fountain from the J.L. Mott Ironworks of New York in 1881. To give the fountain a final flourish, Hebe the goddess of youth, crowned the top. Four iron statues based upon Roman mythology circle Hebe’s fountain. Ceres the goddess of grain, Pomona the goddess of fruit, Melpomane the goddess of tragedy, and Flora the goddess of flowers.

The Square Today
Although businesses come and go, many of the historic buildings remain including the oldest building on the square, the three-story Younglove, built in 1837 on the corner of State and Main Streets. In the 1980s, property owners, government officials and historic preservationists joined forces to protect and revitalize the area by listing it as a National Register and Local Historic District and by rehabilitating the buildings and park. Today, concerts, art walks, festivals, events at the Capitol theater and many interesting shops and restaurants attract tourists and residents.

[Captions:]
Elegant ladies relax around the fountain in Victorian garb.

As the oldest building on the Square, the Younglove’s appearance changed over time. This photo was taken in the mid 1800s and shows the original entrance.

The Nahm Brothers became some of the city’s most successful businessmen and built large stores downtown.

County Court Day Scene, Park Square, Bowling Green, Ky. Dec., 1910

The

Photographed By Tom Bosse, July 5, 2019

2. Fountain Square Marker

second courthouse, built in 1812.

Temperance rally in the Square, ca 1907.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1910.

Location. 36° 59.614′ N, 86° 26.459′ W. Marker is in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in Warren County. Marker is on East Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bowling Green KY 42101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Nahm Building (a few steps from this marker); Princess Theatre (a few steps from this marker); Morris Jewelry (within shouting distance of this marker); 422 1/2 Main Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Getty Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Barr Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Civil War Occupations (within shouting distance of this marker); Gerard Hotel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bowling Green.

Also see . . . Downtown Heritage Walk. (Submitted on September 8, 2019, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.)

Fountain Square image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Tom Bosse, July 5, 2019

3. Fountain Square

Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2019, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 182 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 5, 2019, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.